


To Hyrule and Back Again

by Zeldro



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, has a lot of romance but it is not the main focus, people die
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-21 10:03:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 135,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4824689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeldro/pseuds/Zeldro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story where Link enters the Attack on Titan world, and is instantly entangled with its problems, whilst he meets the cast you all know and love. But as time goes on, people from his past come to haunt him.</p><p>Summary: Link, after defeating Majora's Mask in the land of Termina, decides to find his way back to Hyrule, only to be transported to another universe by a strange being. That world is inhabited by giant, man-eating, humanoid monsters... Titans. Link find his way into the walls and starts to figure out what's going on. Annie, the Female Titan, after being defeated by Mikasa & Eren and trapped in a crystal, has escaped, and eventually comes back with new and dangerous powers. As Link finds new friends in this strange universe, namely the soldier Mikasa Ackerman, he helps out with the problems of the brave new world, but only one thing's on his mind: to find his way home.</p><p>Filled with love, betrayals, battles, and tragedies, this is a story that brings two universes together to make them one.</p><p>Rated teen for violence and brief sexual encounters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**_Link's Point of View_ **

_...and, the disheartening fact that time now works against me, instead of with me, makes me question whether or not time is a sickness, ever corrupting one's mind into thinking in a fallacious manner, or if it is an inevitable burden, reminding one of their inescapable death._

_I used to think of it as something far from a mere concept, no, it was something glorious that I could control in some cases. If I felt like going to the past, I could place the blade of evil's bane back in its pedestal, or, more recently, I could play the Song of Time._

_But it was still limited; however, that limited control I had on time was all I needed to achieve my goals._

_But the simplest of goals, of needs, of desperate desires, is what is so far out of reach it has forever altered my perception on time. The need I'd never thought would be the one out of grasp, the need I always took for granted, and the one that typically would be taken for granted - to be at home, to have a life similar to the one before I was woken up and told I was the world's only hope._

_All I want to do is return to my house in the forest, to sleep in every day, to not have some deathly moon reminding me of the burden of time; to see Saria, to see Zelda, to see Malon, Ruto, Darunia, Impa, and even Mido. To possibly see Skull Kid, finding him playing his flute on that stump in the Lost Woods, and maybe - just maybe - see Happy Mask Salesman, amidst his travels._

_Looks like that isn't happening._


	2. New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New world, new threats.

_**To Hyrule and Back Again** _

_**Part 1: Annie's Return** _

_**Link's Point of View** _

_Ah... this. This all seems familiar._

_Parting ways with someone you've felt like you've known forever in the blink of an eye._

I, and my fairy companion, Tatl, have gone our separate paths. At least I've almost gone my separate path - _back to Hyrule._

Currently underneath the Clock Tower in South Clock Town, I take a good look at my surroundings before I officially leave Termina. I'm going to miss this place, I really am - but I really want to return to Hyrule, and take a break from all of this adventuring. Who knows, maybe I'll come back to Termina again to see how things are going.

_But I don't know if I'll even be able to return at all,_ I think, as I stumbled upon this world by a mere accident, tracking down the creature that robbed me of my horse, Epona, and my precious Ocarina of Time…

...and I ended up saving this world in the process.

So I walk towards the large metal door I entered Termina from and attempt to force it open; it doesn't move. I try again a few more times, but no luck. I consider my options. _Is there another way to Hyrule? Or maybe I can pry this door open with something other than my hands…_

My thoughts are interrupted by a low sound emitting from my left hand. I look at my hand to see the Triforce glowing. _That's odd…_

_This only happens when another being that holds a piece of the Triforce is near…_

Suddenly, the metal door slides open and behind it lies a dark, twisted hallway. There's a sparkling light at the end of said hallway. I hop back onto Epona, pat her on the side, and slowly move forward. Withered bricks with vines crawling through them dominate my surroundings; the atmosphere is gloomy, the air is chilly, and it's very dark. Reminds me of the Shadow Temple.

Once I reach the end of the hall I realize what the sparkling light is - _a floating torch._ There's a torch floating in midair in front of me. I'm initially confused when an idea hits me: _the Lens of Truth. Maybe it's an invisible being..._

I shuffle through my bag of items and find the lens. I bring it to my eye and see it.

It's a stalfos covered in golden armor, looking down at the ground solemnly. In its right hand is the torch, and its left…

... _is the Ocarina of Time._

I immediately shuffle through my items bag and find my ocarina lying at the very bottom. _What the hell?_

I look back up without the Lens of Truth and see the stalfos glaring straight at me; I flinch, then unsheathe my Gilded Sword. The stalfos does nothing but peer at me for several moments.

Then, I rise the Lens of Truth to see if the stalfos would look any different, and once it's aligned… I see it. I see me, as an adult, in the same golden armor the stalfos was wearing. Tears are rolling down my adult face, and my face is filled with scars. I remove the Lens to see the same stalfos wearing the same armor, and when I look through it again I see the adult version of myself, still crying.

_What the hell is going on?_ I think.

I close my eyes. I convince myself I'm in some sort of dream. After rubbing my eyes for a few seconds I open them, and see yet another peculiar sight.

In front of me is a wolf. Its fur is glowing yellow, and it's looking up at me from below. It does not seem aggressive; it simply gazes at me until I close my eyes once again.

_This hallway is giving me some crazy hallucinations,_ I think.

I open my eyes and look at the entity in front of me with my Lens of Truth. I see me - I see the child form of myself. He has the Gilded Sword like I do, but a green flame-like substance is radiating off of it. There's a scar on his forehead, too. He glares at me as I stare back - I'm completely confused, still convinced I'm in a dream. I entered this hallway intending to find my way back to Hyrule but instead found… _this,_ at the end of this strange hallway.

I remove the Lens to see myself disappear. I then notice blackness, all around me. Nothingness as far as the eye can see. Epona is seemingly unaffected, yet my heart is pounding against my chest. _What is happening to me?_

" _Go, Link,"_ I hear a voice say. " _Go to the new world."_

I shut my eyes tight, praying that this is merely a dream. I scream, scream my lungs out, and then…

I'm in a field.

I'm lying down on green, lush grass, in the middle of a field. Epona's standing up a bit behind me, still unaffected. A giant forest is out in the distance, the sun is hanging overhead, and there's no sight of those different versions of me anywhere. It's actually kinda peaceful.

I stand up and look to the sky. It's light blue, just like Hyrule was in the morning; there's no giant, terrifying moon, ready to crash down on the Earth as well.

"Where am I?" I ask.

Suddenly, the sound of a giant's footsteps resonates from behind, and I quickly turn around. At first, I see nothing, but then some kind of monster abruptly appears from behind a hill and charges at me. It looks like a humanoid, without skin, and with shaggy, blonde hair. _What the hell is that?!_

I immediately hop onto Epona and she almost instantly she takes off, and we begin riding away from the monster, towards the forest ahead of us.

_**This took place a day before Annie fought Eren in Stohess. Why she was outside the walls and why she was chasing Link is unknown.** _

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

" _Annie."_

" _Fall."_

I glare at the look of horror upon the titan's face as she descends towards the ground. Wherever she was escaping to, wherever she was going to take Eren…

Doesn't matter now. She's gone.

**. . .**

Eren's still out cold after the battle with Annie. Armin went to some kind of meeting with Levi and Jean. The others, well, I don't know. I'm currently in a small room somewhere Ehrmich district a few hours after Eren fought Annie in Stohess.

_He looks so… peaceful,_ I think. _After nearly killing himself trying to take the Female Titan down… He finally gets to rest._

Knowing his personality, though, he'll want to get back into the action as soon as possible. For now, at least, we get to rest.

After a few more minutes of sleeping Eren's eyes finally open. I'm sitting in a chair by his bed, exhausted, but willing to stay by his side while he heals. He looks around the room, then to me.

"Where did everybody go?"

"Armin and Jean went to a meeting with Levi or something… They had to get questioned about what happened in Stohess."

He almost replies, but hesitates for a moment.

"Then, he asks, "What happened to Annie?"

"She's still in that crystal, locked up underground somewhere in this district…"

"This district?"

"Ehrmich, it's southwest of Stohess."

"Well then… She's not dead?"

"I don't know, why?" I bluntly ask in response. He's seemingly concerned about that monster's well-being for some reason.

_He doesn't still have feelings for her, does he? No, not after this…_

"I know what you're thinking, Mikasa. No, I'm not in _love_ with her or whatever, yes, I know she killed people."

I open my mouth to speak but he continues talking.

"It's not that I love her, or even _like_ her for that matter, but… I didn't want to kill her. I didn't want to believe she was the Female Titan, and that she caused all of that death, I just wanted to… I wanted to continue seeing her for that one girl that taught me how to fight back in military school. That's all I really remember about her, anyway, up until now. She seemed…"

"...misunderstood... But why do you care?"

"If I answer that I know you'll end up throwing a fit."

Before he can reply, I continue, "You should get more rest. I'm going to get more food, do you need anything?"

"No thanks, I'm fine."

**. . .**

Out on the streets of District Ehrmich, the citizens are just now learning about Annie. Newspapers with articles about the two titans in Stohess are being sold by the second. Faint looks of horror span the entirety of the streets, and some people are even contemplating to move further away.

"Titans? _That_ far into the walls? What the hell is going on?! How did they get in without breaking the outer walls?" an angry man asks amidst the crowd of people roaming the streets.

"It wasn't regular titans, it was the 'shifters.' Y'know, the titan-humans? Yeah. Two of them were fighting over there," another man tells him.

"That's blasphemy! I never believed in that shifter nonsense in the first place!"

_The Scout Regiment must be under fire right now… After all, it was our plan to bring Annie close into the walls in order to capture her…_

_I just hope they don't try to take custody of Eren again. His public image is bad enough, so the government could execute him with little repercussions…_

As I walk around the district, trying to find a place to get some decent food, a hand grabs my shoulder. I instinctively jerk away and turn around to see Armin with a concerned look upon his face.

"Armin? What is it?" I ask.

Out of breath, he sputters out, "It's Annie!"

"What? What about her? Did she escape the crystal?"

"Just... Come see for yourself!"

He clutches my wrist and begins leading me through the district until we approach a stairwell leading underground. We walk down into it, and for about fifteen minutes, we continually travel downwards.

"Mikasa, Armin, have any of you seen Levi?" Hanji asks me out of nowhere from behind. I turn around to see her at the top of our current stairwell, with a look of worry on her face.

"No, sorry," I say, as Armin shakes his head as well.

"Dammit," she says under her breath.

Eventually we reach the room where Annie is being held. She's still in her crystal, and there are chains secured all around it. The room is dimly lit; there are a few other scouts in the room, watching over her; and nothing seems out of ordinary. That is, until I take a closer look at the crystal.

Engraved into the crystal are the words "Die Mikasa".

_Well, I'll be damned,_ I think.

_**Thus sparks the first events that happen just as Link finds himself in a new universe - the Attack on Titan universe, that is. And as Annie comes back, stronger than ever, he may be the only one able to stop her.** _


	3. Gone Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Problems and arguments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten, as the original chapter 3 was a mess, and confusing.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_**40 minutes after his arrival** _

_How? How are you supposed to kill this thing?_ I think.

My fire arrows do nothing, I can't reach my bag of masks, and the giant has some kind of regenerative ability. Epona is barely outrunning the giant, and is continually getting more exhausted, so I don't know how much longer I can run from this thing.

I'm currently in a forest, a humongous one at that; the trees are _very_ tall, many times taller than the giant chasing me. It's a dense forest, too, as I have to alter my course every other minute due to the many trees in my way. The giant chasing me dodges the trees with ease; it's very fit and fast for a skinless monster, I've noticed.

"What do you want with me?!" I scream at it. No response.

The monster's green eyes glare at me from above as I barely dodge its hand, reaching for me. I manage to slice part of its finger off, but it regrows in a matter of minutes. I'm low on mana, and I'm not sure if this new world I'm in has any to spare, so I know to use as little as possible.

_Maybe I could hookshot one of these trees and fly away… No, then what would happen to Epona?_

_The Fierce Deity Mask isn't an option, either… I can't reach for it, and if tried to grab it right now I'd fall off my horse. Damn, this isn't looking good…_

Suddenly, an idea comes to mind: ice arrows.

I can shoot the monster's feet to make it fall, its knees to keep it down, and its eyes to temporarily blind it. It's the only plan I can think of right now, so I go ahead and test it out.

I take aim to its left foot. I release the drawstring and let the ice arrow fly. Flawless shot. A layer of ice forms around the monster's foot and it trips onto the forest floor. _Nice._ I then stop Epona and turn her around to finish the job: I shoot both of its knees before it can get back up, and then one of its eyes. I then aim to its only remaining eye when I realize I have no mana left to create ice arrows. _Shit._

 _Oh well,_ I think. I turn Epona around and continue riding away. The giant doesn't pursue me any longer. Just before it's out of sight, I turn around and look to it.

_What a strange creature._

**. . .**

I traverse this new universe I've found myself in. I ride with my horse, Epona, all around the land, finding more forests, ponds, random wildlife, and even more of those giant monsters. Every once in awhile I'll stumble upon one of them, wandering about, and I then promptly change my course when I see one. Unlike the first one I met, they're all masculine, and are mostly disinterested in me, unless I get too close. It's a very mundane world compared to what I'm used to.

There are no Hylians, no Zoras, no other races that are smart enough to talk or nice enough to not try to eat me. None of the animals talk, nor do the giant monsters. Everything feels like it's… abandoned. There's not a soul anywhere near, but it feels like there _should_ be. It's very lonely.

 _Why am I here?_ I think.

It feels particularly odd to not have some central problem looming over me. Ever since that morning in Kokiri Forest when I was suddenly woken up and told I was the world's only hope, all I've done is… solve problems. Defeated evil. Saved the world. Now, I don't have that feeling that I need to be doing something important…

Eventually, amidst travelling about this new world, I find a wall. A very tall one, at that. It's out in the distance; it's curved, and has a giant hole near the middle. I assume the wall was created to keep out these giant monsters, but an incident happened to where the wall was somehow breached. _That's a shame,_ I think. _If I had gotten here sooner I could've done something about it…_

I decide to get a closer look at the wall. I ride towards it and just how tall it is becomes more clear; I'd guess it's about fifty meters high. _Damn._ I ride to the hole in the wall, avoiding the giants as much as possible, and notice that there was once some kind of wooden gate where the hole was made.

 _How was this wall even breached?_ I think. _These monsters, with the exception of the first one I met, don't seem like they could've destroyed the gate to this wall. They barely even care about attacking me, much less tearing down a wooden gate._

The mystery surrounding this world fascinates me, and I almost want to further explore inside the wall. However, it starts to rain, so I decide to find some shelter, and take refuge under a certain tree to the right of the hole in the wall. I eat one of the many apples growing on the tree and play some songs on my ocarina. I don't play the Song of Storms; I'd rather lie down and listen to the sound of raindrops falling than go get myself into trouble like I usually do.

 _This isn't so bad,_ I think. _I don't have any worries. There are no problems to be fixed and no lives I have to save. It's just… me, and this new world that I can do whatever I want in._

_I think… I think I might stay here for a while._

I eventually drift off into sleep, and wake up to see the rain gone and the sun shining from above. I smile. For the first time in a while, I haven't woken up due to a nightmare, nor woken up to someone telling me to help them, nor woken up relieved I didn't die in my sleep. No, I've woken up from a good sleep, ready to take on a brave new world.

_**Around this time is when Annie, the Female Titan, is fighting Eren, in Stohess. After chasing Link the day before she went back inside the walls where she continued with her daily life until Eren showed up to fight her.** _

_**Eren's Point of View** _

_**later that day** _

"Eren!"

"Eren, please, come back! Just come back so we can talk about this, okay? You're not well! Just _please…_ no more!"

I awaken.

_Those voices… Was that a dream? I don't even recognize them. Hm._

I'm in a room, with nobody else in it; I still feel weak, and once I try to get out of bed I suddenly remember that I just recently fought Annie.

_Dammit… Where did everybody go?_

I then recall talking to Mikasa a bit earlier, and then she left to get some food or something. She hasn't returned. _Where the hell is she?_

 _Fuck it,_ I think. _I can't get out of bed because my body's still all jacked up from the fight, and nobody's here to talk to me. Might as well sleep._

I doze off once again and find myself in the middle of a fight. I'm on the streets of Shiganshina, fighting some random kids that I'm very angry at for some reason. There's three of them, and one of me, but despite that, I continue punching them and try to sway them away; eventually, they knock me down and start kicking me, though.

"Why are you defending this heretic, you idiot?" one asks. I turn around to see the heretic they're referring to: Armin. He's nervously clutching a book a few meters away, anxiously watching the fight.

"B-because! He's my friend and I'm not gonna let you _goddamn bastards_ make fun of him!" I yell in response.

"Good for you, you're wrong!" another says. He looks down at me with a nasty glare, and before I can get back on my feet he lands an excruciating kick on my chest.

"Armin…" I sputter out. "...run…"

 _I've lost to these bastards,_ I think. _Unless Armin runs, they'll take his book and beat him up, too, and on top of all that, I'll probably be in a shit ton of trouble when I get home. Damn…_

Suddenly, I hear a voice.

"Eren!"

_Mikasa. Yes, Mikasa's here!_

"Eren!" she calls out. "Eren! Eren, wake up!"

_Huh?_

"Eren, come on, wake up already!"

I open my eyes and realize I was dreaming and see Mikasa and Armin standing by my bed, desperately trying to wake me up. A look of worry is on both of their faces.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"It's Annie!" Armin replies. "She-she's gone!"

**. . .**

As we walk throughout the district, we talk about what happened with Annie while I was asleep. It's very crowded, probably due to my fight in Stohess, and everyone looks either worried or scared. I honestly don't blame them.

"So, did she escape, or did someone let her out?" I ask.

"I'm not really sure," Armin replies. "It's complicated. It's like… she vanished. One second, she was trapped in her crystal, the other, she was gone."

"I can confirm," Mikasa says.

"So nobody knows where she is?"

"Nope," Armin says. "I guess we'll have to go through the trouble of finding her and beating her all over again."

"That sucks," I tell him.

Whilst walking I happen to hear a conversation between two military policemen talking about Stohess. I stop for a moment to listen.

"If you ask me, the Survey Corps should just disband. It's not like they even achieved anything before today, and now they've destroyed a district and countless lives."

"I agree," says the other - a girl. "Why were those lives lost? To kill _one_ titan? No. That's bullshit."

I turn around and glare at them. They initially don't notice. Mikasa and Armin turn around and try to get me to continue walking, but I refuse. I try to form a fist in my right hand, but my grip is still really weak.

The man notices me. "The hell you looking at, kid?"

"Do you know what the Survey Corps' sacrificed? Do you even know what they've done so far for humanity?"

"Eren, it's not worth it," Mikasa tells me, pulling on my arm.

"Yeah!" he replies. "They go outside the walls and get killed, and come back with like five people left. Rinse and repeat. What _have_ they done so far, kid? Nothing! Nothing but cause death! Now get out of here!"

I attempt to punch him, but Mikasa forces me backward. Her grip's too strong. She eventually pulls me back until I can no longer see those two damned MPs.

"What the hell, Mikasa?! Why'd you do that?"

"Because we don't have time for your temper tantrums. If they wanna criticize the Survey Corps, let them, it doesn't affect you."

_Dammit… I guess she's right. Still, she can't just tell me what to do all the time! Who does she think she is?_

_Whatever._

"So, what _exactly_ happened?" I ask. "I know you said she disappeared or whatever, but what was happening before and after?"

"Let's see…" Mikasa thinks for a moment.

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

_I glare at the message Annie left for me carved into the crystal._

" _It's probably because you prevented her from escaping, Mikasa," Hanji tells me. "Calm down, she can't do anything."_

" _Then how did that message appear if she 'can't do anything?' The only possible explanation is that she did it from within the crystal. She carved the message with her ability."_

" _But she's passed out! And she's not in titan form! How could that be possible?" Hanji questions._

_Erwin stands up from the bench and strolls over to Annie. He stares at her face, then at the message._

" _She's right," he says. "It's the only way. That material can't be broken or even dented, so she's the only one that could've done it."_

" _Are you telling me Annie can use the hardening ability even when she's not in titan form?" asks Armin._

_Erwin turns his head to him. "That's my guess."_

_Suddenly, something in the corner of my eye catches my attention. Movement. I quickly spin my head around to see nothing out of the ordinary. I turn back around to Annie. Except she's not there, only the crystal._

" _Where did she go?!" I yell._

_All the other scouts in the room are looking away, just as I was - they're just as surprised as I am._

" _What the hell just happened?"_

_**Eren's Point of View** _

"So she just disappeared in the one moment nobody was looking?" I ask as we reach the stairs that lead into where Annie was held.

"No, something else happened, I'm sure of it. We didn't all just randomly look away at the same time, something caused it. It felt like something was moving in the corner of my eye, and I'm guessing that happened to everyone else, too."

"Yeah, I felt that too," Armin says.

"So, _she_ did that? She made you all look away, and then, what, _teleported_ out?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Eren," Mikasa tells me.

"Crazy shit," I say under my breath.

We make our way down the long stairway until we approach a hallway, that leads to yet another stairway. We pass by a ton of scouts and even some military policemen, and we also see Hanji, who asks us where Levi is. After a while, I ask Mikasa another question.

"You said she left you a 'message,' right?" I ask. Mikasa looks to me.

"Yeah."

"What'd it say?"

"'Die Mikasa.'"

"Damn. She probably hates you, doesn't she?"

"Not as much as I hate her," she bluntly replies. I remember back in military school, before any of this happened, and when I didn't know Annie was a titan - she was my friend, and I thought she was cool. Mikasa hated her and hated it when I hung out with her. I never knew why, and always argued with her about it.

I guess her hatred is justified _now,_ though.

After a while, we finally reach the room with Annie's crystal. Nobody else is in the room but us, and despite that, the atmosphere feels tense. I notice the message carved into Annie's crystal: _Die Mikasa._

"Why was I brought here, again?" I ask, studying the crystal.

"We thought you'd want to see it for yourself," Armin replies. "And besides, you probably needed to get back on your feet."

"What he _needed_ was more time to heal," Mikasa suddenly interrupts.

"I'm fine," I say.

The three of us stay in the room for a bit, talking about the entire Annie situation, and, eventually, Armin leaves. Before he does, though, I mention how we're going to find Annie again, but both Mikasa and Armin simply reply "We'll figure it out."

Then, it's just me and Mikasa in the room. She initially doesn't speak but when I ask her about Annie again she interrupts me.

"Eren."

"What?"

"Do you know why Annie wanted to take you away?" she asks, sitting in the corner of the room.

"No, why?"

"It's just… She's probably going to do the same thing again, right? She went through all of the trouble back on that forest expedition, just to capture you… Have you ever wondered why?"

"Where are you going with this, Mikasa?"

"What if… We just let things go? What if we didn't go after her, only made sure she didn't come back? We brought her into Stohess to capture her but we only made things worse, Eren. Even you know that."

"Are you saying we need to let her loose and allow her to cause even _more_ death?"

"No, I'm just saying maybe we should take it a little more easily. We constantly train for battle and plan out how we're going to capture Annie or defeat the Colossal or whatever, but why can't we forget about all of that, at least for now?"

"I'm not going to rest until she's gone, Mikasa. You should know that better than anyone, so what the hell are you talking about? Of course we're going to try to capture her again! Of course we'll plan it all out, track her down, and yes, I'll risk my life for all of that!"

"See! It's that, it's that right there! I want you to stop risking your life so much, Eren. It's just like Jean said, you really are like a suicidal maniac sometimes."

"Like _hell_ I will! My whole _life_ is dedicated to this, Mikasa! It's why I'm here! If you think I'm just going to drop everything I care about, then you're wrong!"

"But you're doing the same to me, Eren," she says. I walk towards her, over from the crystal.

"What?"

"By doing what you do, you're making _me_ have the possibility of losing what I care about, why _I'm_ here. Do you not see that?"

"Oh. _OH._ So _this_ is what it's about? You don't want me to fight for _your_ sake? That's bullshit!"

"Okay, okay, calm down, Eren."

"Answer this, Mikasa: Why am I all you care about? Why do you insist on keeping me safe? Why do you treat me like some _child_ that doesn't know what they're doing, _all the damn time?"_

"Are you turning this into one of _those_ conversations. Eren?"

"Don't pin this on me! You started it! Look, every time I ask you about this you either change the subject or give me the _same damn_ response every time. So I'm going to end it. Stop! Stop treating me like your inferior! Stop having your entire life revolve around me! I don't want it! You've followed me everywhere ever since that day five years ago, even when you could've had a better life! You had a chance to join the military police, but you instead followed me to the Scouts! Whom you _hate_!"

"Stop it, Eren."

"Only when _you_ stop. I am _not_ your responsibility, and I don't want to be. I mean no offense and I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but please, no more of the nonsense."

"It's not nonsense."

"But it is! Can you not see? Are you so blinded by your desire to protect me that you haven't stopped to think whether you've done more harm than you have helped? Why, Mikasa, why? Why do you do this?"

"You want a real answer? Fine," she bluntly tells me.

"Remember the night you gave me this scarf?" she asks. She holds up her red scarf.

"On that night is when everything I had ever loved was taken from me in an instant. My mother and father were both killed, right before my eyes. In the blink of an eye, I lost all I cared about. And when those men kidnapped me, as I laid there in that cabin, listening to the disgusting things that would happen to me, I learned something: the world is cruel. I hated everything. I didn't want to continue living. That's when _you_ showed up. You taught me the most valuable lesson I've ever been given - fight to live, or die. And then you took me in, without hesitation... The night I lost everything, _you_ were there, protecting me from the harsh world I wasn't yet accustomed to. The night I lost everything, _you_ were there, holding out your hand, telling me, 'let's go home.' Eren, the night I lost everything, _you_ were there to give me this scarf when I said it was cold; at that moment, I realized the world was not only cruel, but also astonishingly beautiful. You were there for me, so I have to be there for you. You're the only family I have left, and I'd do anything to make sure that family stays alive."

_I… I guess she's right…_

"Eren, know this: know that I will do anything it takes to spend another day with you. Know that you're the one that I care about the most, that the possibility of losing you is what keep me moving forward. It's what wakes me up in the morning and keeps me up at night. I know you think I'm clingy, obsessive, controlling, and whatnot, but if that's what it takes to keep you alive then _so be it._ "

She stands up, and leaves without saying another word.

 _I'm a total jerk,_ I think.

_**And thus, Eren learns why Mikasa does what she does, and he later returns to his room that night, thinking about what she said. Mikasa, on the other hand, meets a certain boy garbed in green that night; that boy would change her, as well as Eren's, life forever.** _


	4. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disorientation and soup.

_**Link's Point of View** _

I stare down at my Goron Mask under the oak tree I slept by last night.

_I used this thing all the time in Termina. Damn, was it useful._

I contemplate using it to investigate the giant wall, stretching across the horizon. Maybe I could grab some of my items and use my Goron Mask to roll inside the wall and see if there are any survivors in there…

If I could be back in a few days, Epona would be fine, and so would my items. I don't think there are any other people outside these walls and I'm also fairly certain the giants don't care about my items, so, I think I'm alright. I go ahead and grab my bow, some arrows, my ocarina, my hookshot, my sword and shield, as well as a couple of deku nuts.

I stare at the wall for a moment. A strong wind blows from the left as I prepare myself, and the sun is halfway visible from the horizon in front of me. I look to Epona. She's as calm as ever. I look to the sky, as it gradually gets lighter and lighter, and then to the ground, with its grass as green as Hyrule Field's. I feel a rush of adrenaline and finally place the Goron Mask on my face, and in just a few seconds I take the form of a Goron.

I check my pockets to see if my items are still there, look back at my horse one last time, and then, I'm off. I roll forwards, gaining speed by the second, and make my way towards the giant wall; a giant almost trips over me as I barely dodge its feet. They see me roll on by, contemplating whether or not to pursue me, but decide not to once they see how fast I am. Eventually, I make it to the wall. I exit my Goron form and look upwards.

_It's still so much taller up close,_ I think.

My hookshot is aimed near the middle of the wall, and once the hook-button is pushed, the golden hook shoots upwards, as far as it can go, until it eventually latches onto part of the wall. Then, _my_ body is sent up the wall, and before I fall back down I hookshot the very top of the wall when I then fly to the top.

_That's a tall-ass wall… It took two hookshot lengths to climb it. Holy shit,_ I think. I look downwards and get chills when I realize how high off the ground I am.

An abandoned town is on the other side of the wall. The giant monsters are roaming around in the city, and most of the buildings are demolished. The destruction doesn't look that recent, either. At the northern edge of the town is another wall, and another hole, meaning that there was _another_ breach. _What the hell?_

However, it seems that this city is a small part of what seems to be a larger arrangement; the walls around this city are in a D shape, and is protruding off of another wall that's possibly surrounding an even larger settlement. Interesting.

Sitting down with my legs dangling off the top of the wall, I take out my ocarina. I decide to play Saria's Song - a song I haven't played in a while. When I tried it in Termina, it didn't work; thus, I wasn't able to talk to Saria at all. _Maybe it works differently in this world._

The tune is played flawlessly, and once it's done I stand up. I hear nothing for a moment, then a soft voice comes from behind.

" _Link…"_

I whirl around to see Saria, with her green hair, and joyful, comforting smile. _I-I can see her! I can see her physical form!_

" _It's been a while, hasn't it?"_ she calmly asks, standing atop the wall right along with me. The giant monsters are crowded around the area below, gazing up at us.

"S-saria… I'm sorry, I-I couldn't reach you after I left, I-"

" _It's okay, Link,"_ she tells me in a reassuring manner. " _I'm just glad to see you again…"_

" _Where are you?"_ she asks.

"I'm not exactly sure, to be honest… Not Hyrule, for sure…"

She chuckles. " _You're quite the explorer, aren't you?"_

I notice a purplish tint in her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right… How are you? How is Hyrule?"

" _I'm okay, but Hyrule is a little weird right now… It's fine, though, just… return to Hyrule whenever you can, okay? I-I've got to go,"_ she says, looking behind herself. " _I'll-I'll see you later, Link, okay? Bye…"_

"Bye, Saria…"

And she disappears with a gust of wind. I smile.

My focus returns to the new world, and I start walking along the wall, gazing down into the abandoned city. It reeks of death and tragedy; whatever must've happened here long ago was probably a disaster. The city gives off a sense of mystery as well, piquing my interest as to whether or not the people here escaped, and if they did, where they escaped to.

Abruptly, a body on the wall comes into view. I immediately rush towards it; it's a man, who's wearing a green cape and has black hair. He's lying down on his stomach; blood can be seen from the side of his face. I stand over him for a moment before he suddenly jerks upward.

_H-he's alive?!_

The man rises to his feet when I notice how short he is; he has narrow-looking eyes that are also tinted green, for some reason. He looks to me in confusion.

"Wha-where the hell am I?" he asks himself. "Annie… How did…"

"Uh, are you okay?" I ask. He shoots a glare at me with his greenish eyes.

"You, kid, what the fuck are you doing on top of the wall? I can't tell if I'm in Ehrmich, Mitras, whatever… But either way _she_ did this… Somehow."

He looks over the wall to see the torn-down, abandoned city. A look of terror appears on his face.

"Shiganshina?" he asks. "No, no, that can't be right… She couldn't have taken me _this_ far…"

The man holds his forehead in pain for a moment. "Shit, this headache. Agh…"

"Do you need help?" I ask.

"No!" he shouts, unsheathing dual swords from some kind of canisters on his waist. He then starts pacing toward me, and I then begin to back away.

"You did this, didn't you? You brought me here! You caused everything!" he begins shouting. He slashes at me suddenly, and I manage to jump backward to dodge it. He steps forward for another strike, but again, I dodge, this time by rolling underneath it.

"I don't think you're well, dude…" I say. _He's clearly lost his mind._

"Me? Not well? Bullshit! I'm Captain Levi of the Survey Corps, who the _hell_ do you think _you_ are?"

He continually pursues me, and I keep backing away from him, when I reach into my pocket and remember something. I clutch a deku nut in my right hand, and just before he steps in for another strike I hurl it right into his face and sprint in the other direction, further up the wall…

Whilst running, I remember I have a Goron Mask, and promptly turn into a Goron and begin rolling forward. I speed along the top of this giant wall, towards what I'm hoping to be a large civilization. That Levi guy - _I'll call him Narrow Eyes -_ doesn't pursue me any longer.

_**Link begins making his way to the inner wall, unbeknownst of what lies ahead. Eager for adventure, he finds himself entangled with many people from the moment he arrives, for better or worse.** _

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

I gaze outward at the field below from atop the District Ehrmich wall. The field in front of me is seemingly called Zingi Field; its grass is lush and green and it spans from the southern edge of Ehrmich all the way to a small village in the middle of Wall Rose.

It's been a few hours since that argument I had with Eren. I'm still angry at him, but despite that, I'm getting worried for leaving him when he's still hazy from the battle with Annie. _Oh well,_ I think. I stand up, ready to leave and find a bite to eat, when a certain someone swings into view on their ODM gear.

It's none other than Levi, with a bruised face and angry expression. He lands atop the wall, beside me, and instantly begins speaking.

"Mikasa, I need to inform you of s-someone to look out for," he tells me.

"What? Levi, are you okay?" I ask. He looks distraught and disoriented, and his eyes have this vibrant, green tint, and they're bloodshot, as well.

"No, I'm not okay, I-I… I was in… Shiganshina, and, I, um…"

" _Shiganshina?_ What the hell? You're kidding, right? Is something wrong with you?"

"I-I don't know, I know I was there somehow, I-I woke up after seeing Annie and saw this kid, h-he was wearing green, a-and I'm sure he did all this to me," he sputters out.

_What in the world is going on with Levi? He's usually silent and reserved, but now it's like he can't talk fast enough. Damn…_

"Did Annie do something to you?" I ask.

"No. Yes. I don't know… But I know that kid. The _kid._ He, he-he was involved in it, see," he tries to stutter out. _I can barely understand him…_

_Annie must have done something to him, that's the only possible explanation. Thinking he's in Shiganshina, seeing some sort of kid…_

"He's wearing green, with a g-green pointy hat, and has a sword… He's dangerous, if y-you see him, report to me…"

And then, he flies off of the wall without saying another word. Humanity's Strongest Soldier, now a gibbering mess, is spouting nonsense about some sort of hallucination he's having… _Strange._

**. . .**

A few hours later, I'm dining at a restaurant in Ehrmich called _Soup Palace_ with Connie, Sasha, and Armin. Connie and Sasha arrived in Ehrmich much later than the rest of us and hadn't had any food since the day before, so naturally, they're starving. It's a very busy restaurant, and is one of the nicer ones in this district; we were given free service for being in the military, too.

"Where's Eren?" asks Armin from across the table. We're sitting in a booth - I'm with Sasha, and Armin's with Connie.

"I don't know," I reply. "And, also, have any of you guys heard from Levi?"

"No, but we were told to look out for some kid who was on top of the wall from Mike, he said it's Levi's order," Connie says.

"Yeah, the kid… He came up to me, looked like he'd lost his mind, trying to tell me he was in Shiganshina and saw some kid and told me to look for him."

"Shiganshina?" Sasha asks. "Isn't that, like, the outermost district? The one the Colossal Titan broke through?"

"Yeah, it's the one Armin and I are from. No one's been there in five years, so of course Levi wouldn't be there… But, it worries me. He mentioned that he saw Annie before he woke up in Shiganshina…"

"What are you implying?" Armin questions.

"That Annie had to do with it somehow. What she did, I don't know, it's just speculation at this point."

A certain figure catches my attention from the corner of my eye amidst the conversation. I turn my head to see a boy garbed in green, sitting at a table alone… He has a green, pointy hat, and a literal sword on his back. He perfectly matches up with Levi's description.

I blink a few times, thinking that I'm hallucinating like Levi was, but the kid is still there.

_That's him,_ I think. _The one Levi saw, apparently…_

"Guys," I say. "Look over there."

I point to the boy sitting alone at a booth with a bowl of soup. The three stare at him for a moment, when they realize it.

"That's that kid Levi was talking about… right?" Connie says.

"Him?" Sasha interrupts. "He's so tiny, and cute! What could he have possibly done?"

"Sasha, if you've learned anything from our past encounters with the Female Titan, it's that looks can be deceiving. Hold on, I'm going to go talk to him," I tell the three. I can tell the boy's already noticed all of us looking at him, and is probably suspicious by now…

I begin pacing towards him through the restaurant, and he notices me, and puts his hand in his pocket as if he's preparing himself for the worst. He has a sword and a shield, worn-out boots, and even a bow on his back. _Who is this kid?_ I think. His feet can't even touch the floor because he's so short, yet everything else about him screams that he's a full-blown adult.

I plant my palms on the booth table aggressively and ask, "Who are you?"

He looks up at me confusingly, but doesn't seem scared or defensive.

"Uh… Why do you need to know?" he questions in return, looking back down at his soup.

"Answer my question, boy. _Who are you?_ "

He sighs as if he's annoyed and then rolls his eyes. "You answer my question, and I'll answer yours."

"Dammit, kid! Look, I'm not taking any bullshit right now, and I need to know why my captain was telling me he saw you on top of a wall and that you harmed him in some way. Speak up! I don't have time for this!"

"If you don't have time for this, why are you even over here? It's just wasting your time, right?"

_Nope. I've had enough of this._ I grab his arm and pull him out of the booth. "Let me go!" he shrieks. He pulls on my arm with all his strength, but my grip doesn't budge.

Just as I'm about to scold the kid, I feel a peculiar rumble seep through my legs. I stop for a moment, look throughout the restaurant, and see nothing strange happening. Then, it happens again, but this time, it's harder, and also louder. The entire restaurant goes silent for a second.

_What… What was that?_

The boy in green stops tugging at my arm and begins looking all around in suspicion, just as I am. Again, a rumble seeps through my legs and a loud crashing noise is heard from outside the restaurant - at this point, everybody is silent once more. It stops for about thirty seconds.

Before anybody gets comfortable again, though, the roof of the building implodes, and a pink titan comes crashing down. Chunks of wood and stone are sent flying downwards as I see Annie, the Female Titan, trying to get back on her feet from within the now-demolished restaurant. The titan then runs away, and I hear a peculiar screech in the distance - _Eren's titan screech._ When the realization comes that Eren is fighting Annie once again, this time in a different district, only one thought comes to mind:

_Oh, no._

_**The Female Titan appears once again after she lost against Eren in Stohess, just a couple hours after Link had arrived in District Ehrmich. Link, being the hero you all know well, does what he's best at once the situation starts to unfold.** _


	5. The Dinner Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An incident at dinner.

_**Link's Point of View** _

I've been travelling for a while now. As a Goron, I roll through the inside of a second wall, one that's _not_ breached. I pass by many villages with lots of people as I roll northward to see just how big this civilization is. I eventually see yet another wall, and a small town residing just outside the wall. I exit my Goron form before anybody can see me; I've decided to not be seen as a Goron just yet, just in case beings like that aren't normal in this world.

 _There are… people here,_ I think. _An entire civilization residing inside these walls…_

_Yet another world that has a giant problem looming over it…_

_No,_ I think, _I won't get involved this time. I need… I want… to go home._

As I approach the city, I gaze off to the right of me; just above the horizon is what looks like a small fortress. Off to the left is the beginnings of some type of city, a large one at that; I had passed by several villages on my way here, but all of them had been fairly small.

A sign is planted directly in front of the entrance to the town: "Ehrmich Exterior".

_I guess the wall up ahead is Ehrmich, and this town is its exterior…_

A few minutes after walking about in the town, someone abruptly snatches my ocarina away from my hand. I quickly turn around to see some random guy and a few others, all glaring at me. I step back for a moment and take a defensive position.

"Who the hell are _you_ people?" I aggressively ask.

"What the hell kind of get-up is that? What the hell is _this?_ Those are the real questions, kid," the guy holding my ocarina says sarcastically. He's big, buff, and looks stupid. His followers are more or less the same.

I sigh. "If you give it back within ten seconds I won't hurt any of you."

They're all taken aback, and then, they start laughing.

"A-are you serious?! Is that a joke? No, but for real, what _is_ this? Some kind of old instrument or some shit?"

"Five seconds."

"What're you gonna do? I was just messin' with you. Come on, lighten up, ya dick!"

I pace forward, grab my Mirror Shield from my back, and promptly slap the man with its metallic exterior. He goes stumbling backwards, and I grab my ocarina back from him. _Typical dumbass,_ I think.

"H-hey! You! What the hell, you knocked him out!" one of the man's followers yell at me as I continue into the city.

_That knocked him out? Damn. And I went easy on him. Seems people here are weaker than I thought._

**. . .**

_I'm thirteen years old,_ I think. _I just realized that. I spent a pretty long time in Termina, so without a doubt my birthday's already passed. Holy shit._

I traverse the city. Many citizens travel about, talking amongst one another, either on foot, on a horse, or in a carriage. The buildings are densely-packed, too; it's as alive as Hyrule Castle Town, I've noticed. There are restaurants, shops, houses, and lots of guards. There's a certain charm this city gives off that I've never felt before.

The children carelessly run about. The adults mind their business, such as reading a newspaper, talking with each other, or shopping. Wagons filled with supplies pass by me every so often. It's as if there _are no_ giant monsters just outside the walls. As if there's no problem at all. _Interesting._

_None of these people seem to be worrying about the giants - called titans, as I've heard - but why? They broke through the first wall, so I assume they could break through the second anytime now... What would they do then, huddle inside the third wall?_

The wall out in the distance becomes bigger and bigger as I near the entrance. I start to form a good idea of how this civilization's walls are structured; it's composed of three circular walls, with one inside another, and a few smaller walls extended off of each one. That's just my guess, though, so I'm not entirely sure.

Whilst walking I spot some kind of golden coin lying on the sidewalk. I reach down, pick it up, and gaze at it. _I guess this is the currency around here,_ I think. Upon putting it in my pocket I feel a firm tap on my right shoulder. After spinning around quickly, a policeman of sorts is standing in front of me.

"Are you lost, kid?" he asks. He has blond hair, is wearing an orange uniform, and has the same gear Narrow Eyes had on…

"Uh, no, I'm fine," I reply.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen, my birthday was not too long ago."

"Ah, well then, you need a good belated birthday dinner, right? Here, son, have some of my cash, it should be enough to get you a nice meal at one of those top-notch Ehrmich restaurants."

"Wha… Thanks, mister," I say to him, holding out my two hands. He pulls out a small bag and pours a ton of golden coins into my hands.

"When you get up to the gate up there, tell 'em Hannes sent you, aight? Have a good one, and take it easy, kid."

He turns around and continues on with his policeman business. _What a nice guy,_ I think.

_I'll try to take it easy._

I make my way to the gate and find myself in an even bigger town. Another D-shaped, walled-off city it is, just like that initial city I stumbled upon… It's overwhelming. It's massive. It's _exciting._

I'm getting the same feeling when I had ventured to Hyrule Field for the first time. There was Death Mountain looming in the distance, the giant Hyrule Castle at the edge of the field, as well… Everything seemed massive. I was hesitant yet intrigued. At that time, I was ignorant of the world and learned everything through experiences, both good and bad. Now, I'm equipped with all sorts of knowledge on how the world works, not to mention some fighting skills.

A building stands before me. Delicious aromas are exerting from the doorway. A sign hangs overhead: _Soup Palace._

 _The hell's soup?_ I think.

_Guess I'll find out._

I walk inside and I'm immediately seated by an employee. The interior is very busy, and is built with premium, dark wood, and it's pretty damn crowded as well. After being explained the concept of "soup" by the waitress I order "green pea soup," and then wait for my food. I'm sitting in a booth all to myself; despite being alone, I don't feel lonely. For now, I guess, I'd rather be alone, at least for enough time to gather my thoughts.

However, a bit after receiving my soup, I notice a certain group of people eyeballing me from across the restaurant. They're looking to me with curiosity, and are seemingly talking about me. _The hell's their problem?_

I try to ignore, but once I do, I see a person from that group get up and start walking towards me. She's a girl, with black hair, and a sharp glare; also, she has the same gear Levi had - _what does that stuff even do?_ I clutch a deku nut from my pocket to prepare for the worst. She firmly plants her hands on the table and looks to me.

"Who are you?" she asks. _What the hell? What even…_

"Uh… Why do you need to know?" I ask in return. I look down to my soup.

"Answer my question, boy. _Who are you?_ "

I sigh, roll my eyes, and reply, "You answer my question, and I'll answer yours."

"Dammit, kid! Look, I'm not taking any bullshit right now, and I need to know why my captain was telling me he saw you on top of a wall and that you harmed him in some way. Speak up! I don't have time for this!"

_Woah, girl, chill._

"If you don't have time for this, why are you even over here? It's just wasting your time, right?" I ask her.

A furious look appears on her face and she jerks me out of the booth. I try to resist, but she's clearly stronger than me.

"Let me go!" I shriek, tugging at her arm, but to no avail.

I stop for a moment after I feel a slight tremor in my leg. I look up to the girl, who's also confused, and then to the other customers. Then, it happens again - this time, much louder. _What's happening?_ I think.

A crashing noise is heard from the outside, and moments later the roof comes crumbling downward. The entire damn thing falls on top of the other half of the restaurant. Many people are instantly killed. And if that's not enough, one of those titans caused it.

A giant, pink titan, who had seemingly fallen on top of the restaurant, gets back onto its feet. I quickly notice it's the same one I encountered when I first entered this world - _what the hell? How did that one get inside the walls?_

A hear a loud screech just as the pink titan begins running away. The black-haired girl doesn't let go of my wrist, even after seeing the giant monster; instead, she stands there in complete disbelief for several moments.

"Lady, wake up! Let go of me! Hurry up!" I continually tell her.

"Eren…" she says under her breath.

"I SAID LET GO!"

She turns her head to me.

"No, I'm getting you out of here before anything else happens," she tells me, as I notice that we're the only ones alive in the entire restaurant. Or, at the very least, the only ones who haven't escaped.

"Nope! I'm fine, thanks! Now, if you could kindly _let go of me_ I'll be on my way, yes?"

She thinks for a moment. "Fine, do whatever you want, kid."

The girl sprints forward out of nowhere; I follow suit. We stand at the entrance to the half-demolished _Soup Palace_ when we see quite the interesting sight: two titans, fighting in this city. One's the female-looking-one I encountered before, and the other's a black-haired buff one I haven't seen. Both seem intelligent.

Some kind of hook shoots out of the girl's gear and she's sent flying forward. Her gear allows her to fly through the air, latching onto buildings until she lands onto the closest rooftop to the titan battle. _That's some hookshot-looking stuff right there,_ I think. _Hookshot gear!_

Excited and intrigued, I also hookshot my way into battle, ready to take on a brand new threat.

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

_Ah._

_I thought we were done with Annie… but, despite that, here she is, fighting it out with Eren._

Enormous amounts of people are fleeing in all directions. The military police are desperately trying to control the chaos, but to no avail. It's… frightening. It's Stohess all over again. I can already tell even more death will take place here. Connie, Sasha, and Armin… I don't even know if they're alive…

_There goes my hopes of a peaceful life once again…_

I push my feelings to the side and focus on the task at hand. My ODM gear allows me to fly to the building closest to Eren pretty quickly, and once I do so, I stop for a moment. Eren, in his titan form, notices me.

Once his titan face looks to me Annie lands a nasty strike across his face, and he's sent backward into a two-story building. He gets up in time, though, but not quick enough; Annie kicks him in the chest, and, as Eren stumbles backward, she punches him in the face.

"Dammit, Annie!" I yell. My ODM hook latches onto her neck and I go flying forwards just before she finishes off Eren. My blades slice through her neck, but her skin quickly hardens to prevent further damage. As I land on the opposite building, and see Eren's crippled titan form on the ground, the realization of how dire the situation is kicks in.

_There are currently no other Scouts in this district, except for me and the other handful at that restaurant… They're either still in Stohess, or in Mitras, explaining to the royal government about Annie…_

_It's up to me,_ I think. _Levi isn't here and Eren's already been beaten._

"I'LL TEAR YOU APART, ANNIE!" I yell, charging off of the rooftop and towards her. We clash once again, and I, not letting her get to Eren while he's injured, relentlessly slice her skin but continually meet the same fate: her crystallization technique stopping me from inflicting any damage. _This isn't going well. I need to focus on Eren…_

Annie looks to my exhausted figure on one of the many rooftops of Ehrmich. I return the glare. Then, she suddenly shifts her focus back to Eren, in his crippled titan form, and she begins sprinting for him.

"EREN!" I yell. She isn't going to _touch_ him… _I'll kill her! I'll make sure of it…_

The ODM latch zooms through the air and digs itself into a bell tower; then, my body is thrusted through the air, towards the pink titan. She notices this, and grabs a chunk of a building and hurls it towards me. I barely dodge, and end up falling to the ground, and she turns back around and starts running for Eren again.

However, the moment she continues running, her titan form falls to the ground. She rises to her feet immediately; confused, I run forward to get a better view to see her trying to swat a dark figure off of her body.

 _What the hell is that?_ I think.

She successfully sways the dark figure away and it flies toward my direction, and lands a few meters in front of me. It's a boy, wearing green clothes, with a green, pointy hat.

 _Him… From the restaurant… What the hell is_ _ **he**_ _doing here?!_

"What?! Why-where-what the hell are you doing?! Get out of here!" I tell the boy as he gets back onto his feet.

"Apologies, but I'm gonna have to decline your request, I don't think you can take this thing yourself. Cool?"

"What? No! How'd you even - why are you - JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE!"

The boy ignores my last statement and charges back forwards to Annie just as she's healing up from his… _attack._ He's thrown into the air by some kind of golden contraption, and he unsheathes some golden sword, then continues slicing, easily dodging Annie's titan arms. He doesn't, however, seem to know anything about the titan's weak point…

 _What is this?_ I think. _Who is this kid, why is he fighting like this and where the hell did he come from?_

_I… I can't get distracted. I have to save Eren first._

While the Female Titan is distracted, I begin making my way back to Eren, after fighting it out with Annie for a bit. We had slowly made our way across the district, as I was trying to lure her away from Eren while he healed, but it ended up working against me. Now, though, I have a chance. _I can do it,_ I think.

I spot Eren in his human form atop a roof, his body steaming. _Did Annie put him there or something? Dammit…_

"Eren!" I yell, landing beside him. He's unconscious. I open his eyes to see his pupils both green, and dilated… _just like Levi's._

"No, no, no no no!" I say, trembling with fear. I turn around and see nothing but the city; _where did Annie go?_ I only hear the screams and commotion of citizens trying to escape the district, but no Female Titan…

The tension is killing me. I'm not in control of this situation, and I don't know where Annie is. Eren's knocked out and has the same green eyes that Levi had earlier. On top of that, I have one set of blades left. _Please, please, something turn this around._

"ANNIE, WHERE ARE YOU? COME OUT! YOU WANT EREN? YOU WANT TO TAKE HIM AWAY?! THEN DO IT!"

_I'd like to see you try…_

A few moments later, an arm reaches for me from behind, and I barely dodge underneath it. I turn to see the Female Titan again, with no sight of that kid. She reaches for me again, but when I try to jump over her arm I'm hit in the legs; I let out a screech and fall back down to the rooftop. I catch Eren's terrified gaze; he's awake, his eyes are still green, and he can't move by the looks of it.

_No! No! I have to… I must save Eren…_

I try to rise to my feet but to no avail. My eyes return to Annie to see she's exiting her titan form. The realization that I've lost hits me hard when Annie lands onto the roof and begins walking towards me; she glares down at my damaged body, smirking…

My legs are writhing in pain. Eren is unable to move. Annie is unscathed, ready to kill, and that kid from earlier is probably dead.

 _Fuck it… Just fuck it…_ I think, glaring at Annie with rage. She forms a crystal over her fist and strikes my head. My vision starts to get blurry. I hear her muttering under her breath, and then she strikes me with her crystallized foot.

_Eren… I'm sorry… I couldn't do anything about it this time…_

I barely manage to turn my aching head to see Annie looking down at Eren. She starts to reach for him when an arrow flies from behind. She hits the arrow out of midair with her crystallized fist and stares at something from behind.

_Wait… Is that…?_

She yells something, and someone from behind yells something back.

_Oh. I know exactly what's going on…_

A green figure appears out of nowhere, and it forces Annie off the edge of the roof. The two clash as they fall to the ground, and I realize that it's the kid, still alive, still trying to take on Annie.

_**Annie has beaten Mikasa and Eren. The whereabouts of Levi, Erwin, and all other Scouts are unknown. However, a certain boy garbed in green may just be able to turn the situation around.** _

_**Where are Sasha, Connie, and Armin? What's with Eren's green eyes? Is Link going to be able to beat Annie? Find out in the next chapters of To Hyrule and Back Again.** _

__


	6. The Overnighter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A battle and a sleepover.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_Let's do this._

Falling from a tall building after the female titan in her human form, I unsheathe my blade and aim it downward.

She's small, with blonde hair in a ponytail, and in a recognizable uniform I've seen the locals around here wear - _the Military Police uniform._ Immediately after I had struck the female titan off of the other girl, she then rolled herself off of the edge instantly. _This girl has a good - no, great - reaction time._ Usually, for me, fights are just using the shield to defend, then striking at the right moment. _I wonder how this girl fights._

Almost an inch from the ground, Titan Girl (that's what I'll call her, 'female titan' sounds like she's just a titan) uses the strange hookshot-like mechanism on her waist to fly back into the sky, landing on another tall, wooden building, followed by me doing the same with my hookshot. I rise upwards to the roof to see Titan Girl, fists icy blue for some reason, ready to strike. Before I touch the roof, she charges at me and leaps into the air, landing a nasty punch on my stomach. I land near the edge and quickly stumble to my feet, reluctantly ignoring the pain.

I carry out a quick scan of my items in my pocket - _Goron Mask, bow, a deku nut, a hookshot and my ocarina._ Nothing of great use except maybe my bow and deku nut.

I hear a "clink" sound coming from Titan Girl, and I direct my attention back to her to see two hooks both landing an inch to the side of my feet, causing her to fly forwards. Reflexes acting for me, I leap into the air as she swings herself off of the building. Immediately after turning myself towards where she launched off of the building I see Titan Girl returning, sprinting vertically up the building with her hookshot gear.

I fail to not let her back onto the roof, though that's a longshot.

I had seen her doing something to the other girl with black hair when I pushed her off, not hesitating to strike. I had also witnessed her titan go limp, followed by a shadow erupting from it - Titan Girl. I assume she can turn back into a titan as well, but she hasn't done so yet. I also witnessed certain parts of her body have a blue crystal material form on it, both in human and titan form. I don't know how, but I _do_ know it hurts terribly.

She's back where she was, standing across from me in her odd combat position. Her fists are no longer covered with the crystal material, and she would've turned back into a titan by now if she wanted to.

I hold my shield up and lurch towards her, ready for another strike. She's in an odd fighting position; her fists are above her head, leaving many parts of her body vulnerable, but I'm definitely not going to underestimate this girl. She flinches when I get within about two yards, and starts to sidestep around me, analyzing my every move.

Just a few seconds of awkward eye contact and she jerks herself forward for another strike, attempting to kick my shield off my right arm from below, but I bash her head with my shield, sending her backwards a few steps. Taking advantage of her being stunned, I sheathe my sword and take my bow, which is resting on my torso (wrapped around it), along with an arrow and take aim. I release the string on the bow, launching the arrow forwards at Titan Girl. She's not in her "position" but she still flinches, hardening her fist and taking a swing at the arrow before it reaches her. She's still in pain, but she still has her lightning-fast reflexes.

_It took me a few moments, but I'm pretty sure this girl is the titan that I met when I first entered this place, and who eventually gave up when I stunned her. What she wanted from me, and what she's trying to do now, I have no idea. It's not good, I know that, and it looks like I'm the only person trying to stop her, with the exception of the other girl whose legs probably broke. And the other titan with the shaggy black hair. Forgot about that guy. Who was that guy? Whatever._

She returns to her position. I hold my shield up and begin lurching towards her again, her doing the same. Once I'm about half a meter away I attempt to jab her in the side, barely missing as she sidesteps to the right. She counters, landing a nasty kick on my right hip. I backflip without hesitation - I land, and she's right in front of me, punching me across the face with her crystallized fist; it's almost enough to knock me out. She doesn't stop there, though: another kick strikes my stomach, launching me backwards off the roof, giving me barely any time to react.

_Damn._

My hookshot pierces the top of the building before I hit the ground. _Need a different approach._ I assume she's standing near the edge just out of view, so I swing over to the side a little and land back onto the roof. Sure enough, she was doing exactly what I thought; it seems to surprise her I figured she'd be doing that, and she returns to her fighting position, with the crystal material forming over her hands. _I need to play on the defense. Yeah, that'd be good - she can counter like I've never seen and my arrows are barely even hindrances._

_If only I had my other items._

"Okay. I'm done here. It was fun, thanks," a voice abruptly states. Titan Girl, in a laid-back attitude, is walking towards me. Her fists suddenly glow green, and she strikes my Mirror Shield, shattering it to pieces. _No, no no no no no no! What?!_ As I stand there, crippled from shock, Titan Girl lands a blow to my chest, launching me off of the building, crashing onto the side of another. I barely catch myself with my hookshot, half-expecting her to break _it,_ as well. But she doesn't. I land on the ground and spin in all directions.

A sharp, piercing pain seeps down into my neck, and is removed instantly, like a needle.

I'm lying against the ground in agony, unable to move any parts of my body. I see Titan Girl walking off, then blackness.

_What?_

_**Sasha's Point of View** _

"Why does Mikasa never take her ODM gear off?" Connie randomly questions, still waiting on his food (as well as mine).

I glance in Mikasa's direction across the restaurant to see her gear strapped onto her body, with her blade container filled to the max. _Huh._

"I mean, maybe she's just taking extra precautions. Stohess was nearly destroyed not too long ago," replies Armin, followed by Connie shooting him a quick "touché" face.

I look back over to Mikasa, scolding the kid in the green tunic like a badly behaved child - I guess that _is_ what he is, as somehow slipping past the guards and getting to Wall Maria is probably one of the worst crimes you can do. I don't even see a benefit in that - most crimes benefit the criminal in some way, like thieves are rewarded with whatever they steal, but travelling outside of the walls where the titans have taken over - why?

Not to mention supposedly blinding Captain Levi like it was nothing, then travelling _all the way_ back into Wall Rose in a suspiciously _very short_ amount of time.

_Wait - what in the world was Levi doing outside of Wall Rose without anyone else? How could he have returned that quickly? That's strange.._

Bewildered by the abrupt thought, I open my mouth to begin speaking, when I sense a rumble on the floor. It seeps through my leg, giving me goosebumps lightning fast. I turn my head towards the entrance of the restaurant; nothing of importance is taking place out there, at least in my view.

Everybody in the restaurant stops for a second, hesitating to speak; then, they quickly continue chatting. Like nothing happened - I suppose it _was_ nothing, but whatever.

As soon as I drop the topic in my thoughts, a more peculiar thing takes place; a roaring sound of a crash - somewhat like an entire building demolishing - resonates the entire _Soup Palace._ Not registering what just happened, I spin my head around, scanning people's faces, most filled with rapid confusion. I turn my head to Connie and Armin, who look the same.

The restaurant goes into a state of complete and utter silence - somehow more ear-piercing than the crash.

My heart drops.

_Something's about to happen._

Without thinking, the entire restaurant still in shock, I say "Get under the table." I slide myself below, Connie and Armin quickly doing the same, when what I had been dreading for the last half minute happens.

The roof of the restaurant implodes, sending enormous chunks of stone, wood, & metal down into the restaurant, crushing people in the process. I peek my head out from under the table to see Annie, the Female Titan, stumbling to her feet after being launched onto this restaurant by someone - probably Eren. I scan the area for the nearest window - our booth is propped right next to a wall, but a window (which would have been convenient) is not present by it. I spot one a couple tables down and motion Armin and Connie with my hand to crawl out from under the table. Pointing towards the window, we all sprint in that direction, and I take another look at the ceiling. Another huge chunk falls down, landing on a tall column near the window, causing _that_ to fall down.

I quickly hop over it and slide myself onto the booth next to the window and search it for a way to open it, when I hear a cry from Armin. "Sasha! Help!" I direct my head towards him to see Connie on the floor, the giant column covering one of his legs. I ignore the chaos happening around me and lift the column with ease, probably because I'm under stress, and clutch Connie by his chest, heaving him onto the booth next to the window.

"Armin. Keep a quick watch of anything happening, okay?"

I again search the window for a way to open it, spotting an oddly-shaped lever to the top right-hand corner. I stand up on the booth table and spin it like there's no tomorrow, opening it in nearly an instant. Armin grabs Connie, in terrible pain from the column crushing his right leg, and pulls him out of the window, me following them. I land onto the soft grass and direct my gaze off to the side, into the other part of the city, seeing panicky citizens and overwhelmed MPs.

It is happening once again; Annie is causing havoc.

We make our way away from _Soup Palace_ , not daring to look back; Armin and I struggle to help Connie walk, so we both pick him up by his torso - making us even more slow but Connie won't be in as much pain. Out to the front a little to the right is the exit of Ehrmich District, though too far out of view to see it clearly. I motion to Armin the exit and he quickly nods, already panting from carrying Connie.

_Don't look back… Don't look back…_

**. . .**

I can't even take another step. Armin's about to pass out. Connie's unresponsive.

One of the overwhelmed Military Policemen grabs below my shoulder, as well as Armin's, informing us to get as far away from here as we can. "There's a village a little to the southwest, as well as a hospital there. Good luck," he tells me as we step into the giant doorway, exiting Ehrmich district. I'm panting like I've just ran 50 kilometers, and Armin, who isn't even bothering to help carry Connie anymore, is lying down on the grass in front of the exit with sweat covering his body. I direct my gaze to the pinkish sky, indirectly spotting where the sun is. _It's gonna be dark real soon,_ I think to myself.

I decide to lay Connie down, who's either passed out, or… is just unable to respond; I'm hoping it's not the latter. I prop him next to Armin, and then take a break by lying down myself. _I could literally fall asleep right now. I could. I could just close my eyes, then be fast asleep._

_Nah._

A plethora of frightened citizens hurry past us, probably towards the village to the southwest, while I'm just chilling, watching carriages filled up to the max and a ton of horses erupt from the exit of Ehrmich District. Out in front of me stretches Zingi Field, not even a building in sight, only a few trees and green, lush grass; it's pretty much the same with the left and right of me, though I can kind of spot a forest over to the left of me out in the distance. On the right, the sun is getting closer and closer to disappearing, though I can still see the entire thing - no mountains or forests to block it out, just the flat Zingi Field.

"Sasha," a voice states, half-startling me. I turn my head to the left to see Armin on his knees beside Connie, looking over at me.

"Yeah?"

"What just happened?"

"Well… Annie was fighting another titan in Ehrmich District, and we were in the way."

He gears his head towards the exit of Ehrmich, crowded with citizens using different types of transportation, all heading to the same place.

"Mikasa! What happened to her?" he abruptly asks, his eyes widening lightning fast.

_Totally forgot about her._

"She probably went to go fight Annie, and 'the kid' was right there with her, so he might've done something with her, possibly helping her... Honestly, anything could've happened. The battle's probably still going, Annie demolishing building after building as we speak."

_I sounded like Armin talking, just now. Hm._

Before Armin begins speaking again, I ask "What do you think we should do?"

"Zingi. Definitely Zingi. There's a hospital for Connie and if we're going to find Mikasa that city is where she'll most likely head."

"Yeah, you're right. How're we supposed to get there, though? I'm not toting around _him_ any longer," gesturing to Connie with my head. I can't _not_ feel bad for him, though, his leg _did_ get crushed by a pillar, but if I try and carry him any longer I'll pass out.

"Connie. Are you okay?" Armin asks Connie, weakly holding Connie's head up off the ground.

No response, still.

"Yeah.. I don't think he's okay at all. I think we should get a move on," he tells me.

"How? By walking all the way to Zingi?"

"Well.. no. Maybe we can hop on one of these carriages? I'm open to suggestions." I turn my head back to the exit of Ehrmich, moving my head slowly left, watching the line of carriages, horses, and wagons travelling in a line across Zingi Field, towards Zingi.

"Yeah. That sounds good."

**. . .**

"Zingi's closer to Ehrmich District than I expected," says Armin, sitting across from me on a wagon, being pulled by two horses.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Look." He points a little past my direction, slightly to the right.

I scoot over by Armin, propping myself next to him, and I see it - the medium-sized city of Zingi.

The carriages & horses had split up over time, heading in different directions - probably to different towns. I had assumed they were all going to Zingi, but that's probably not a good idea. Would've been too crowded.

Zingi's lit up, standing out in the night, with everything else extremely dim. About twenty minutes ago the sun had finally set, and moon is now rising from the east.

A couple of minutes pass, and the wagon abruptly hits a bump, and I curiously look to the ground below the wagon to see a road pavement, as we're nearing Zingi. I'm getting a bit drowsy, but I'm not letting it get to me - I'm assuming Armin will fall asleep first, and I want to keep an eye on Connie for a bit, who is lying down flat in the center of the wagon.

"Connie? You alright?" I ask, half-expecting an annoyed groan in response. But he doesn't bat an eye - still knocked out after the incident at Soup Palace. "I take that as a no, I guess.."

"Yeah.. I think we should get him to a hospital tonight," claims Armin.

"Where are we going to stay? On the floor by his bed?" I question in response. _We really_ _ **don't**_ _have a place to stay.._

"If that's our only option, then.. Well, yeah. Right now, we just need to get settled in and do something about the Connie situation. "

_I'd much rather be sleeping on a comfy bed with food on my nightstand. But whatever._

**. . .**

"Thank you for letting us ride on your wagon, sir," Armin kindly states as I grab his hand and help him hop onto the ground.

"I second that. You're a lifesaver, sir," I tell the man who owns the wagon, and who was riding on a horse in front of us. "Heh, it's nothing."

 _Zingi. The city named after Zingi Field - and one of the most populated cities between Rose and Sina, even without the panicky citizens from Ehrmich to fill up the remaining spaces._ Even though more than half of the people that were en route to Zingi decided to head to a different area, the streets are still quite crowded. Zingi's streets were designed to serve a large population, as well as the tightly-packed buildings lining the dense roads - the designers have done a pretty good job, if you ask me.

I prop my head over the wagon, seeing Connie with his crushed leg still lying down. "Armin. Help me get Connie outta the wagon," I direct him. We both grab his limp body and place his arms over our shoulders, and begin slowly walking, as the wagon we rode in takes off into the crowded intersection.

While navigating the complicated streets of Zingi, I begin to think about the entire situation. _First of all, Annie's even more powerful than I thought, which is extremely bad - she somehow took out the entire Levi Squad, except for Levi himself, according to Eren. Mikasa could be dead at this very moment - I assume she headed straight for the Female Titan as soon as she saw it. Also, Eren was there, too - I wonder what happened to him. I just wonder how it turned out in general, if Ehrmich is or is still being completely demolished, and if Annie's going to go for another district, such as Yarckel or Orvud, or even Mitras, the inner portion of Wall Sina._

_Something weird is going on with Levi as well, because he claimed he was on the wall of Shiganshina District, which just doesn't make sense in any way - How'd he travel there in less than a day? It should've taken weeks all the way from Stohess. Not to mention returning back. And why would he be there? Also, "the kid" - who the hell is that guy - well, kid? If the entire thing Levi told us was a lie I'd assume "the kid" isn't real, but I saw him in Soup Palace, so.. I have no idea. This is just too confusing._

_I'm just not gonna think about it. Yeah, that's a pretty good idea._

The crowd starts dying down, with the people from Ehrmich District finding a place to stay. Carriages are parked along the sides of the wide roads and an average of two horses are tied to each poll holding a torch on top, appearing twice a block. As we roam the city, stopping for a break every few minutes, I begin to figure out the general layout of the city - how it's organized, I presume. The city's divided into square sections, dubbed "blocks", with 4 or 5 buildings stuffed into each of them. The buildings don't seem _too_ cluttered, but most of them are propped right next to each other, making pretty much one giant building divided into sections with each block.

I eventually find myself leaning against a stone building next to Armin and Connie, staring out into the night - the stars, twinkling in the dark sky, and the bright moon, peeking out from behind a tall, stone building in front of me. It's peaceful, not even an active carriage or horse in sight at the moment. _Now this is where I could fall asleep._ Yeah, that wouldn't be too bad - _but what about Connie?_ Yeah, I know his leg's all jacked up, but he just seems to be asleep, and it's almost like he's _snoring_. It's quite funny, actually. _I guess the hospital can wait 'till morning._

 _Yeah, that's a pretty -_ no, no no no no. No more laziness. It's _not_ a pretty good idea.

"Armin."

"ARMIN!"

"W-what? What's wrong?" he replies, snapping back to reality from his slumber.

"I think we should find the hospital."

"Sasha.. It's, like, 11 or 12 o'clock."

"So? Neither of us know the condition Connie's in! We just kinda stopped here for a break and never got up! Come on, we have to go."

"Do you even know where the hospital is? It could be well past 2 AM by the time we find that place! If we get rest we can ask somebody tomorrow, or just rent another carriage. I know, it's uncomfortable just lying around on the streets, with Connie being in a terrible condition, but there's nothing we can do but think about what we'll do tomorrow to help it or just go to sleep."

"Well… ugh, I guess you're right. It just doesn't feel good just leaving someone with a broken leg to sleep on the streets alongside us."

"I agree, but.. this is our only choice, at the moment."

"You could spend the night with us," a voice of a child states, coming from behind me. I flinch, turning my head around to see a little boy sitting in a window, curiously looking at me.

"I know something happened where y'all came from, and other families are letting people stay the night with them, so I guess you can stay with my family. They're asleep right now, but I'm sure they won't mind, and I'm pretty sure a bed is a better place for that guy for sleeping on than on the streets," he says, pointing to Connie.

_Well, that was unexpected._

"Why are you up this late?" Armin asks, not in a "pushing him away" attitude but more of a curious attitude.

"I don't know, sometimes I just don't fall asleep. Come on, you guys are probably exhausted."

He holds out his hand, a smile appearing on his face, welcoming us into his home like it's nothing. _Ah, I love kids._

**. . .**

"So, what's your names?" he asks, sitting on the edge of his window towards us.

We're in his room, dimly lit and awfully quiet. It doesn't really feel like a "kid's room", like as in there's no real toys, just drawings of random things and fake swords.

"I'm Sasha, that's Armin, and the one laying on your bed is Connie," I kindly reply, motioning to Connie, still knocked out.

"Cool. I'm Alex. What happened to Connie - well, what happened in general? Was there a titan?"

"Two, actually," replies Armin, with an "it's storytime" kind of voice. The kid's face lights up with surprise, eager to hear what happened.

"I'm pretty sure one was fighting for us, and I think I may know who it is - but the other one is known to cause a lot of havoc. We weren't there to see everything, we were just eating dinner when BAM! the roof collapses and a titan we know as the infamous Female Titan comes crashing down."

"You guys name the titans?"

"Well, not usually, but this one's special. Anyways, we were escaping when a large pillar fell on Connie's leg, and he's been in this state ever since. It's quite worrying, but we haven't really been able to do anything."

"That sounds bad. Man, I would've been scared like hell," he replies, not seeming to care about using words like "hell". _Strange._

"Well, we were, as well. Sasha here acted quick, ordering us around every few seconds until we eventually found the exit to the district. Nice job, by the way," he tells me, lightly bumping me with his elbow.

"No problem. Anyways, Alex, thanks for letting us stay here, you're a lifesaver. I was about to go searching the city for a hospital for Connie when Armin convinced me not to - we would've been lost. Where are we in the city, anyways?" I ask, wondering if this kid knows the streets to Zingi.

"Well.. We're in the mostly northern portion, kind of to the east, just kinda at the tip. Yeah, the streets get complicated once you get into the middle, and there's quite a lot of restaurants down there, as well. Pricy, though."

_I guess he knows his way around._

"We're only at the edge of the city?" Armin asks, surprised by the size of Zingi. "Yeah, this is one of the biggest cities in Wall Rose," he replies.

The kid looks around 11 or 12, with the high-pitched voice to fit; his knowledge, however, says otherwise. He has brown hair, about average length, and is of average height for his age, as well. _Reminds me of "the kid" - the one Mikasa was scolding. At least the way Mikasa was talking about him - "potentially dangerous", a little kid about 13 could be a major threat for us Scouts, she was saying._

My eyelids, barely being held up by my will to stay awake - well, remind me that I need to fall asleep. We're safe, at least I _think,_ which is good enough for me, and Connie's in a comfy bed so I'm pretty sure it's okay to go to sleep.

"Okay, I think I'm ready for bed. Where can I sleep?" I ask Alex, withdrawing himself from the conversation with Armin, directing his attention towards me. "Eh.. I have some blankets in my closet, and even I can barely fit on my bed with Connie on it, so I guess y'all can share a blanket or two? I have like three or four, and I want at least one, so…"

"It's okay. I'll share with either of you," I quickly reply, trying my best not to look greedy.

"Fair enough," he responds. "Also, does Connie here need equipment on his leg? I know there's a hospital down the road over to the right, but giving him some now won't hurt. I can go get some, and my parents are deep sleepers so that won't be a problem."

_Awesome._

"Yes! That would be great! We'll return them once we get new ones from the hospital."

_...Wow, this kid's great._

_**Armin's Point of View** _

"Connie..."

"...are you sentient yet?"

"...No."

_Sigh._

"Look. I know it hurts, but you slept for more than 13 hours straight."

I receive nothing but a groan of annoyance in response. What did I expect? Well, I don't know.

Sasha leans closer to him, tapping on his forehead softly. "You have to get up someday."

"Mm-mm."

It's the morning after what I've nicknamed "The Dinner Incident", around 11 o'clock AM, I suppose. Alex went out somewhere with his parents, so it's just me, Sasha, and Connie in a kid's room, begging for Connie to give an actual response other than a groan or a weak "no".

"Alex gave you this equipment for a reason. Can you at least answer our questions?" I hopefully ask him. He merely grunts in acknowledgement of my question.

"Do you remember what happened, at all? Do you remember anything?"

He sighs, followed by spitting out a short "yeah".

 _I would think he'd need more rest, but he got over 13 hours of shuteye._ "Well, Sasha, I don't think he's going to cooperate anytime soon. I'm going to go to the hospital that's 'down the road over to the right' to get any information we need in terms of Connie staying there; If I don't come back, come looking for me, okay?"

"Gotcha. Seeya," Sasha replies, as I attempt to force the window open - then I spot a circular lever, and I twist it, causing the window to easily slide upwards. "Seeya, I guess."

Upon opening the window, I quickly notice that the city's just as alive and kicking as it was yesterday evening. I crawl out, plopping myself right onto the stone sidewalk. The sky's a beautiful light blue, with only a couple clouds in sight. The sun shines brighter than ever, almost as if it's directly shining onto this one city - It might as well be.

The streets seem flatter than what I'm used to - I'm used to a more hilly-type area, with streets sloping greatly upwards or downwards, but I guess this city is right on top of the flat Zingi Field, so that explains it.

" _Down the road, over to the right" - down which road?_ That's kinda vague, if you ask me, but it's better than nothing. As soon as Alex said those words I've been repeating it in my mind so I won't forget, though I know I can just ask somebody directions.

**. . .**

"So what you're telling me is, just the cast and the crutches costs 50 gold? Damn," the man in front of me complains, speaking with the person in charge of answering questions like these. _50 gold's a lot.. We got ours for free. Temporarily._

"Affirmative, sir."

"Screw that!" he snarls, storming out of the hospital.

"You have any questions, sir?" the girl asks me, practically unaffected by the rude man she was previously talking to. "Yes, um, I've got a friend who has a crushed leg from the incident that happened in Ehrmich. I was wondering the range of prices of the cast, crutches, and how long he might be able to stay here."

"Ooo, that was quite the tragedy. I'm sorry to hear that. As you heard with the previous person, both the cast and crutches cost 50 gold, and it's ten gold a day if this person were to stay here."

 _Ugh._ I dip my hand into my right pocket and shuffle around, only feeling around 8 coins.

"I'm out of luck. Thanks, though," I tell her, as I calmly walk away.

_I guess we're going to have to use Alex's stuff. I wonder how long we can stay at his house._

I continue thinking of what I'm going to do, only to be greeted by a plethora of carriages and wagons parked in front of the hospital. They're lining the entire street, nearly all the way down to Alex's house to the left, and down to the dead end on the right. I assume they're the second wave of wounded people from Ehrmich to receive treatment.

I turn left and begin strolling towards Alex's, not making too much of them, until I spot a familiar face.

_It can't be._

It's Mikasa, lying down flat in the center of a wagon, with a white, rough material wrapped around both of her legs.


	7. Ones and Twos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twos and ones.

_**Sasha's POV** _

_"Connie."_

"Mm."

"Are you tired, or does your leg still hurt and you can't do anything?"

" _Mm._ "

"That doesn't answer my question."

He lets out a long sigh, and then finally opens his eyes.

"There we go. You feel okay?" I hopefully ask him, taking a seat beside him on the bed.

"Feel a little better," he quickly mutters, much to my relief.

Armin had left a few minutes ago, leaving only me and Connie in Alex's room. _Wonder when either of them will get back._

"Can you stand up?"

" _No…?_ " he replies in a strange way. "Well, you're not gonna get better if you just lie in a kid's bed all day. Wait, do you even know who's bed this is?" _Forgot to tell Connie just exactly where we are - I mentioned Alex earlier and he didn't question it, so I don't know._

"Alex's?"

"Yes. This is his bed. That you're laying on. With his family's leg equipment. On your leg."

"Mm."

"When Alex returns you're going to have to _try_ to stand up with the crutches, hear me? Armin and I don't know how long we can freeload in this kid's room."

"...yeah, whatever."

**. . .**

"You said you'd try to use the crutches and stand up when Alex got back. Why aren't you doing that?"

"Mm."

"Stop saying 'mm'! Give me an actual response instead of a grunt!"

"Fine," he replies, finally responding with words. "Where're my crutches?"

"Hold on," Alex interrupts, followed by him swinging his closet door open and shuffling through it. "Ah. Here they are. Sorry, I forgot to actually _give_ them to you, heh," he tells me, laying the crutches across the bed by Connie.

"Alright. Are you going to try to use these?" he hopefully asks him.

"I guess."

"Well, sit up, legs off the bed."

He weakly rises himself upwards, and turns himself towards Alex, and screeches an "ow" whenever he places his broken leg on the floor.

"You don't have the cast on yet?" Alex confusingly asks. "Where is it?"

_What? I thought he had his cast on._

"I.. I never put it on," he replies. _Why didn't he say something about it?_

"Oh. Wow. Sorry, I'll go find it."

He opens his closet door again, stepping deeper into it than he was last time, like the floor of the closet's flooded with other things. He takes a bit longer than when he was looking for the crutches, and then leaps out from the back of his closet, tripping over some kind of box at the entrance. "Crap," he frustratingly says, "it's not in there."

"Did you look hard enough? Looks like there's a bunch of stuff in there," I question.

"Trust me, I know where everything is in my closet - the cast's supposed to be in the back corner, and it's not there."

Looking for other options on the spot, I begin asking other ways to get a cast for Connie.

"How much does just the cast cost at the hospital?"

"30 gold, I think."

"Is there any other way we can get a cast for Connie? Possibly cheaper?"

"Well, I'm sure someone's using the cast I had, probably someone my parents are taking care of - believe it or not, they sometimes keep people in the house that need care, and are poor. It seems like I'm unorganized, but I'm actually organized in my own way - I know exactly where everything needs to be, at least things that I'll need later like the cast."

"So.. that's a no?"

**. . .**

_Oh my GOD. Where the hell is Armin?_

"Excuse me. Have you seen a short-ish blond guy, around 15 years old but looks 13?"

"Ma'am, I've gotten over 50 people asking me countless questions over the last thirty minutes. I'm sorry, but I can't remember exact people."

_Great._

_It's been ten whole minutes I've been searching around for him, trying to tell him Alex gave us money to buy a cast. But I haven't seen him at all._

This god forsaken hospital's layout is confusing as hell, and it sure doesn't help the lady in charge of helping people and answering their questions can't remember a person's face for her life. Everything's just falling apart by the minute, and I'm so angry I can punch a hole through one of these wooden walls.

I pace around, my eyes darting in every direction - even though I had started to realize I'm practically going in a circle I still don't halt, half-expecting to see Armin after every turn. It seems like the lobby of this place is bigger than the actual care rooms (whatever you call them) themselves, and some people are treating it like some sort of club - one room has a fireplace and four or five tables, each round table consisting of six seats and some type of board game on top. Oh, and that's the only room with brick walls.

I haven't been able to go into one of the rooms where people are being treated, but I'm pretty sure Armin hasn't gotten injured in the last twenty minutes. It's cool that this hospital's just down the road from Alex's, but that poses another question: _Where the hell could Armin have gone?_

I'd think I would've seen him on the way here, but I haven't had a sight of him since he left.

" _I'm going to go to the hospital that's 'down the road over to the right' to get any information we need in terms of Connie staying there; If I don't come back, come looking for me, okay?"_

_Well, I've already come looking for you, and you aren't here. What now?_

Alex, after telling me he's sure he doesn't have the cast a plethora of times, loaned me money to buy a cast for Connie - which I'm pretty sure I won't be able to pay back anytime soon, if ever. I don't even know how I'll get that money to pay him back. I don't even know if I'll be back in this city. I don't even know what's going on. What _is_ going on? We're taking refuge in a kid's room in some city far away from the Scout HQ. Armin, the brains of freaking everything, is nowhere to be found, and Connie's in such a terrible condition he replies barely anything other than that frustratingly annoying grunt of his.

_No. I can still fix this. It's been a bad morning and just a bad situation in general. I'm getting ahead of myself._

Taking a seat in the fireplace brick-wall room, I calm myself down, telling myself "it's okay" from under my breath. _Wow. I don't think I've ever gotten that mad._

I rest my head on the table, staring off into the flames of the brick fireplace when I realize _I have to fix this._

_I'm the only one who can fix this unless Armin suddenly shows up. It's all on me. Oh no…_

_Yikes, I've never been good with these types of situations._

I still rest on the table, wary but relaxed. Abruptly somebody who looks like a waiter shuffles by me, holding up some kind of tray with both hands.

"Excuse me - is this some sort of restaurant inside of a hospital?" I question him, grabbing his attention. He's wearing some sort of white apron, with a peculiar white hat on his head.

"Well, it's supposed to be for people staying with whoever is being treated here, and the people staying here themselves - we don't really mind other people eating here, though."

"Why does it look so nice? Like, if every room of this place looked as good as this it could be a full-blown dinery." _Was that the right word? I don't know._

"Yeah, well.. That's what makes our place unique, you see," he replies.

"It's a hospital. Not to be rude, but I'm pretty sure people don't care about how nice a hospital's mini-restaurant is, let alone caring whether or not they have one."

"Look. It was my brother's idea, okay? Lay off!"

He hastily paces away, apparently not wanting anybody to question the mini-restaurant. _Mm. That was weird._

**. . .**

"Are you _absolutely positive_ you haven't seen him? I'm pretty sure he's been by here."

"Eh.. I don't know.. Maybe some coin will help me remember, ye?"

"Nice try."

"Ah, you a smart girl. No, I have not seen this 'shortish blond dude' at all today."

_Blegh. No luck._

_I guess I'll go back to Alex's. I swear, if he's been there the whole time.._

On the way to the hospital, I had seen a bunch of carriages and wagons lining the street from Alex's to the dead end on the same road (past the hospital), but now they're gone. I had assumed they were some more people who couldn't/didn't escape Ehrmich but still managed to survive. Maybe that had to do with Armin running off…?

I turn back towards Alex's, giving up on the search for Armin. I spot his family's half-stone and half-brick house, merged into three or four more houses.

I make my way down the busy sidewalk, doors of every building flying open a few times a minute. _Armin wouldn't have gone into one of these buildings, right? I don't think so.._

I cross the street, easily slipping through the dense traffic, towards the window of Alex's house. It's closed. I briefly knock on it, spotting him on his bed - where Connie was when I left. _Is Connie finally up and walking on his crutches?_

An almost surprised look appears on Alex's face, followed by his head gearing towards the door of his room. _What's going on?_ Abruptly, his door swings open, bashing against the wall. An adult - his mother, by the looks of it - steps into the room, giving Alex an odd look. Then, her attention shifts to me, staring me down with her angry eyes. She says something, probably directed to Alex - I can't lip read, so I don't know what she's saying.

Alex hops onto the ground from his bed over to the right and paces towards me, twisting the knob on the window to open it.

"Sasha - you aren't allowed to stay here anymore. My parents found out I was keeping y'all."

" _What?_ I thought you said your parents wouldn't mind! Your parents do this all the time, don't they?"

"I'm sorry, Sasha. I need my gold back."

Reluctantly, I reach into my right pocket, clutch the gold he gave me, and place it in his palms.

"Where's Connie?"

"Oh - about him, heh, you see… My parents got someone to drive him to another hospital, since this one's filled up - I think it's in mideast Zingi. Bye, Sasha."

"Wait! Where'd you -" He slams the window shut in my face before I can finish.

_Well, that's what I get for trusting a kid this much._

_**Link's Point of View** _

I awake to see the top of some sort of tent hanging over me.

_Titan Girl._

_Wait, where'd she go?_

_Oh, yeah. I lost against her._

I rise upwards, scanning the tent, when I find my items all placed in the corner of the tent. The tent's empty except for my items and the blanket under me.

 _Good to know it wasn't a_ _ **total**_ _loss. Still got this,_ I think, as I reach over and grab my ocarina.

I stuff my items in my large pockets and peer out of the tent. I see another - no, three or four more - tents identical to mine. Someone walks past the tents in sight, and then another. I fully open the entrance to the tent and see basically a "tent village" - just a bunch of tents and one or two large huts scattered across a portion of a field. _Now how in the world did I end up here?_

I step out of my tent and shift my head around, only seeing the same thing. People are walking around with pots, plates, cans, and groups of two are carrying these weird pads that looks like a body would go on it. _What is this place?_ I further observe the premises, wandering around the area and taking note of just what's going on here. _It's the morning after my fight with Titan Girl,_ I think. _Was this set up just for that incident?_

I was correct about how it seems like bodies are to be carried on those pads being carried by two people at a time, as the carriers transport wounded or injured men, women, and children to their own little tents to stay in. There's a fire every ten or so tents where food is cooked, I presume; I wonder what the huts are for.

"See? Look! He's _fine!_ The kid's already up and walking, Clark!" someone randomly exclaims to another, pointing towards me. I turn myself to a group of two dressed in red worn-out robes, the same color red as the people carrying the wounded to their tents' shirts.

"Hey. You. How are you not still lying in agony in your tent, youngster? What are you, twelve?"

"Thirteen, and I feel fine. Where am I?"

The two give each other an odd look, then briefly nod, shifting their focus back to me.

"For now, we ask the questions. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Good."

The man, who the other called Clark, steps over to me and begins guiding me towards one of the huts.

"So, what, exactly, were you doing in Ehrmich on the streets pretty much _right_ where the titan attack took place? Did you try to escape?"

"Yes, I tried to escape, but I felt a sharp pain in my neck and passed out. I was with my mom and I haven't seen her or anybody else I know since."

"Ah. That doesn't sound too good," the other man states, "Where was your father? Siblings?"

"I have no siblings, and my father was up in the 'inner-inner' wall doing business."

"You mean Mitras? What in the hell was your father doing _there_?"

"I - I don't know, he doesn't really like telling us the kind of business he does. It brings coin back to my mother, so she doesn't question it."

"Fair enough. So.. As Clark asked earlier, how are you not lying in agony in your tent?"

"I guess I wasn't exactly _injured_ but maybe rather passed out due to shock. I don't know what the pain in my neck was." _Dammit! Why'd I mention that? Passing out due to shock is the perfect lie._

"I don't know what that is either," Clark replies, "do you know, Adam?"

"No clue. Okay, so, I'm guessing the blade you have on your back is your family's?"

"Since my father's always out working his business stuffs in 'Mitras,' or whatever you call it, I have to kind of fend off against certain threats."

"And these 'certain threats' are?"

"Well, in Ehrmich I live in the smack middle, where most of the crime of the district takes place. My mom won't let me have a gun, so she got me a bow instead, and my father taught me how to use a sword when I was around 7. Anyways, if someone were to try and attack our residence or do something I consider a 'threat,' I have full permission from my mom, as well as the local Military Police, to use it."

"Wow. You're a tough kid. That's all the info we need to know. You can go ask around the hut in front of us for information and food you can go cook at the fires over there," motioning towards the fire pit next to the hut.

**. . .**

I'm in what is known as "Zingi Field," and I remember passing through here yesterday when I was travelling to Ehrmich District. I rarely had stopped since I was using my Goron Mask, travelling at incredible speeds, but when I did, I just kinda looked around, and I remember Zingi Field. Lush grass growing up to my ankles and a few trees scattered here and there were the two main things I remember, which matches with where I currently am.

The tent village was set up for the people who couldn't afford going to a hospital in the city of Zingi, or for people who just don't really want to pay. The people here don't care either way, they want to 'spread the word' of their barely-staying-alive business. What they're trying to achieve by providing free service like this I have no clue, but it gave my shelter for the night so I have to give them credit.

Now, I'm on my way to retrieve my items.

Looking off into the distance, the view reminds me of Hyrule Field, only on a much, much larger scale. I'm still in the middle wall, so it's going to take a bit to find that tree, but my goron mask ought reduce the time by loads.

The tent village being out of view, I clutch my goron mask and place it over my face - I look down at my arm, which is now big and brown. I curl up into a ball and thrust my goron body forwards.

**. . .**

_Ow! What the hell?_

For the third time, I feel an impact on my front, up against something solid. The other two times it was a tree. What is it _this_ time?

I uncurl myself and see a brick wall.

_Oh._

I take my mask off, transforming back into a Hylian, and see a medium-sized house in front of me.

_Hm._

I shift over to the edge of the brick wall and peek my head out. More houses, and a dirt road.

I turn around.

There's about twenty people, all in shock, staring at me.

_What's their problem?_

I look down at my goron mask in my right hand, and back to the people.

_Oh, yeah. That. That's gonna be a problem._

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

"Mikasa! My God, wake up!"

_Ah… My head's killing me._

_Wait - Eren._

_Eren!_

I open my eyes and sit up, grabbing Armin's shoulders.

"Armin! Come on! We have to get Eren!"

Expecting him to follow me, I hop out of whatever I was just in and sprint forwards, scanning the rooftops. _No sight of Annie. Nor the kid._

I arrive at an intersection and search around all three ways; nobody's on the rooftops, I don't see a titan nor do I see a kid dressed in green flying about. Oh, wait - Annie's human now. _Wonder how the kid's doing?_

I turn around and spot Armin running towards me, reassuring me he's got my back. "Mikasa! Wait!" _Not right now, Armin._

I continue sprinting forwards, my heart pounding, and then - _there. There's Eren._ I see him on top of the building I was on, and clink my ODM trigger. Except I don't hear a "clink" sound. Nor does a hook erupt from my waist.

Confused, I look down to see my gear nowhere to be found, and look back up to the roof to see Eren not there. I feel someone grabbing my shoulder and then see a confused Armin, with a few other people staring me down.

_Wait, what's going on?_

"Mikasa! What are you doing?"

"What do you mean? Where did my ODM gear go?"

I spin around, seeing even more people giving me looks. _Why haven't they evacuated?_ Then, I realize it's daytime. _Huh?_

"Mikasa! What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to get Eren and get out of Ehrmich! The kid is holding Annie off, so we'll be fine."

"We're in Zingi! That stuff happened yesterday!"

_..._

_Oh._

"Stop running!"

 _Huh?_ I then notice I'm running in a random direction, halting myself before I crash into a building. I turn myself back to Armin, who's panting.

Suddenly it all makes sense - _I passed out._

_The attack on Ehrmich was yesterday. It's done._

_Whatever the kid was able to do, it obviously wasn't enough to save me._

_Did he save Eren?_

"Armin! Do you know if the kid saved Eren?"

"I don't know, I got out of there immediately," he pantingly replies, taking fast, deep breaths.

Assuming the kid would've at least dragged me to a safer place if he saved Eren, I realize I'm far away from Ehrmich - _maybe he did do that. Where's Eren, though?_

I then begin remembering what was happening yesterday in Ehrmich.

_I don't know if that kid's gonna get killed or not, but it's my last hope._

_I weakly turn my head to Eren, who is still across the roof of the building I'm on. He's looking the opposite direction, turning his head a little bit by the second. Maybe he's watching Annie fight that kid._

_That goes on for a few minutes, and then Eren plops his head back down onto the roof. A tear rolls from his eye. What?_

_A hand appears on the roof, followed by Annie hurling herself upwards. She gives me a cold stare, and looks back at Eren._

_Crap._

_She squats down by Eren's head, and picks it up with her - her hands, in which some kind of green particle is emitting from it. She starts whispering something in his ear, Eren's ear glowing green now._

_She halts, and stands back up. She flashes me a quick smirk and walks off._

_My eyes are still locked on Eren, his body slowly growing more and more green. Then, suddenly, he disappears out of thin air._

_Still unable to move anything other than my aching neck, darkness begins to dominate my eyesight until I can no longer see anything._

* * *


	8. Transformation Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A situation caused by a transformation, followed by a transformation, which causes another situation.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_DAMMIT!_

_I knew this would've been a problem. And now it is. Great._

I've been meaning to not transform into a Goron too much to avoid these types of situations. And it pretty much cost me a loss to that titan girl, which, by the way, isn't being paid off.

"Y.. you.. What are you?" someone questions, his eyes filled with fear. Attempting to appear as nonthreatening as possible, I slowly slide the Goron Mask into my tunic-pocket, my eyes locked on the people in front of me. They're all wary and shaky, looking at me like I'm a monster.

 _Why were they all on that side when I got here? I don't see anybody in the town behind me,_ I think, quickly turning my head behind to see if anybody's there. _Maybe they saw me coming._ I'm up against the brick wall of a house, the northernmost house of the village, in fact. The townspeople could corner me, but they won't even move an inch closer to me.

"It turned into a child. I don't know what it is, but it seems to be trying to look innocent. With all the humans-transforming-into-titans madness going around this right here could be something else causing havoc. Hold on, I'll be right back," an intelligent-looking woman states, pacing out of the crowd of twentysomething people and into the village behind me.

 _Alright. I can escape right now and not have to deal with this, but it'll probably come back to haunt me later. Or I can try to get rid of this now - but how?_ I stare this one angry man straight in his eyes, thinking of a way I can convince him and the other people I'm not some monster on the loose.

I decide to start off simple. "I'm not a threat, people."

"Prove it! We saw you crash into my buddy James's house as some kind of brown monster, and transform into a little kid! Explain _that!_ " the man I was looking at earlier exclaims, followed by the other people muttering in agreement. _They're getting more hostile._ I take a different stance, a more defensive one at that, ready for someone to charge at me. A threatening look appears on my face, and I glare at the man who just made the statement.

"I can _assure_ you that was an accident. What you saw may _wildly vary_ from what _actually_ happened. _Don't move any closer_ , and I'll be on my way."

"Now you listen here! You ain't goin' nowhere! Move one centimeter and I'll shoot you on the spot," the man harshly replies, pulling a metallic thing out of a pouch on his waist. He points it towards me, clutching it with both of his hands. _The hell is that thing? A small version of one of those 'guns' I've heard talked about?_

I stand there, not moving an inch; the townspeople doing the same, and that one angry old man still pointing the metallic thing towards me. They stare me down, slowly changing from frightened to hostile, and even starting to move a little closer. _I can't hurt any of these people. Yeah, I'll threaten them, but I can't get a bad reputation here._

"Alright, I'm back, let's get rid of this before it becomes too much of a problem," a feminine voice states. I turn my head right and see the woman who had left earlier back with some - _spears?_ And also another one of those metallic things the angry old man has. _Wait, did that woman just refer to me as an "it?"_

"Did you just call me an 'it'?" I ask aloud. "Yes, I did," she casually responds.

"Look. I didn't come here for trouble, and I _certainly_ didn't come here to be called an 'it.' I didn't even _mean_ to come here in the first place, so just _lay off_ and let me go."

While walking back into the angry crowd of people, she suddenly halts, and turns towards me. "No."

Following the blunt response, I scan the premises, realizing I can't just walk away from this - I'm pretty sure I can't convince these people I mean no harm, so the only option I have is to escape.

 _Right of me is nearly completely open, which would lead me straight back into the field from this city; left of me kind of leads more into the village, but if I run far enough I'd be at the edge. I think I can see the edge from here. Behind me and in front of me aren't an option. Well.._ I turn my head to the roof of the brick house behind me. _It's not_ _ **that**_ _high.. Hookshot? Nah._

The woman whom I already dislike hands out the spears to some of the townspeople, acting like I won't attack them while they're doing that. Of course, I won't attack them anyways, but they aren't even taking that into consideration.

"Okay. Lay down all of your weapons and other items onto the ground," she commands me, along with the townspeople getting into a defensive position.

"I don't have to do anything you say."

"Very well."

The people abruptly begin lurching towards me, slowly walking with sudden movements. I don't unsheathe my sword; instead, I back away to the wall, a little to the right. _Now's my chance._ I turn right and _almost_ start running, but then a spear erupts from the left of me, _piercing the brick wall right in front of me. Man, that's some weak brick - or a strong spear._

"Are you _serious?_ " I ask, getting frustrated.

Nobody responds; instead, they get closer, holding up their long spears in front of them. I notice the woman shifting more to the right with a metallic thing pointed at me, trying to prevent me from escaping over to the right. The left of me's already blocked. _They could possibly corner me._

"Stop." They don't listen.

Someone erupts from the crowd and charges towards me with a spear, but he's holding it with the blade portion pointed to the side, with two hands. Not hesitating to dodge, I roll to the right to see the woman, with the metallic thing planted on my forehead.

"Okay. This is enough. Stop."

The man whom I dodged gets back onto his feet and starts backing away into the crowd. I notice the woman's the only one who's actually doing something; the other people, with the exception of dodged man, are just kind of standing there. _They're still afraid of me, just trying to intimidate me. I got this._

"It's over. Place your weapons on the ground," the metallic-thing-holding woman states. _Man, I need nicknames for these people._

I decide to try something.

"Okay. I surrender." A smirk appears on the woman's - _okay, I'll call her "Intelligent Woman"'s_ \- face.

I raise my hands slightly in the air, causing the townspeople to seem a little more laid-back. I reach into my tunic-pocket, immediately feeling my Goron Mask.

_Let's do this._

Abruptly, I place the Goron Mask onto my face, backflipping away from the woman - the people immediately go into shock. A loud popping-like sound erupts, and a bunch of spears begin to fly towards me.

But right whenever the spears are about to hit me, my large Goron fist takes a swing at them, breaking most of them in half. I curl into a ball and leap into the air, and then pound onto the ground - _Goron Pound, that ought scare them._ Terrified shrieks erupt and more loud pops occur, the townspeople scattering in a matter of seconds. Pointing left, I curl back into a ball and rocket into the village, not thinking about where I'm going.

The way seeing where I'm going when rolling in Goron form is weird; since I'm rolling so fast, I only see what's directly in front of me for a split second, but I've trained myself to only pay attention to that split second.

The village, stretching out in front of me, is now my path out of here. Turning left to the field would be risky, because I can't really make sharp turns while rolling, and I'd be at a disadvantage if I rammed into something. I spot more people in the town as I zoom past houses, barely dodging the random bumps and such on the dirt street.

I also spot a few people standing on the roof of a house, wearing gear on their waists - _the same gear I saw Narrow Eyes and that other girl._ Half-expecting them to pursue me, I slightly turn left to the other side of the dirt road. _Now that right there could potentially be a big problem._

The town, becoming more and more dense, becomes harder to navigate, especially while travelling at this speed. Dodging random things by the second, I twist, turn, and eventually crash into some kind of market-stand, with fruit and such - it doesn't stop me though. What I _need_ to do is turn left into the field (I'll just call it Goron Field because of the situation I'm in) to escape this altogether, and this would be done for. I don't even know if anybody's pursuing me; I'm going way too fast, even for people with the hookshot gear (that's a good name for Narrow Eyes's gear).

I quickly notice the gap between the houses & buildings to the left is getting larger, giving me more of a chance to roll into Goron Field. Without delay, I lean over to the side, turning straight towards the field, only to be greeted by a giant pile of hay. _Eh. Only a small hindrance._ I back up a little, back into the town, while also turning slightly right, aligning just past the haystack that's plopped right next to a house.

And then, _of course_ , another obstacle jumps in my way. Just before I launch myself off into Goron Field, something crashes against my curled-up Goron body, sending me off way to the side. _I just can't get a break.._

I stand up and face the direction it came. Among the uproar happening around me is none other than Intelligent Woman, furiously glaring at me from a distance. _What? How?!_ I then notice the hookshot gear on her waist, along with a few other people with hookshot gear appearing beside her. _Nope. I'm outta here._ I curl back into a ball and charge forward, into the cart-thingy that hit me, and right into the side of Intelligent Woman. I can't really see her, but I'm pretty sure I just broke part of her body. _Dammit, didn't mean to do that._ I turn right into Goron Field, and I'm off, finally out of this mess so I can get my damn items back. _Success._

**. . .**

_This isn't a field anymore. Yeah, this is more of a hilly plain - wait, plains don't have hills, at least large ones. Still, it's hilly - I'll call it "Goron Hills," since it's right next to Goron Field._

Standing on the edge of some kind of mini-cliff with a drop 5 meters down, I gaze at what I've now dubbed "Goron Hills." Unlike Goron Field, this portion of the giant city I'm in is rugged and uneven. The grass isn't as lush, either, or at least the grass doesn't feel as soft.

I remember I had started drawing a map on a piece of paper I got at that tent village - I had only drawn the three walls, the four extended portions of each, and some names of districts & cities - such as Ehrmich, the district that Titan Girl attacked yesterday. I shuffle around in my pockets and pull out the half-crumbled piece of paper, and sit down on the rugged terrain.

Below Ehrmich, extending from the innermost wall to the south, I put "Zingi Field." "Goron Field" goes below that, and then "Goron Hills" goes below _that._ Between Zingi & Goron Field I place a dot, labelled "Situation City," which, hence its nickname, is where my little Goron situation took place. Then, last, inside the innermost circular wall I write "Mitras," which is where the royal family apparently lives.

As I learn more about this place I'll put more on my map, but for now I'll just go with this.

Travel time.

_**. . .** _

_Another wall. I remember this one. Wall Rose._

When I was originally travelling north through the city, I never encountered the southern district extending off of Wall Rose. Trost is its name, and, as I was informed by someone at the tent village, it was attacked by titans and is currently being rebuilt.

I grab my hookshot and aim it at the middle of the wall, as that's somewhat as far as it can reach. I release, launching it towards Wall Rose and it barely pierces it, only the tip digging into the wall. I fly up the wall and hookshot the top immediately when I reach the middle, sending me above the wall.

At first glance, I see a massive reconstruction happening in Trost District, holding my attention until it's out of view. My hands barely grab the edge of the wall, and I quickly pull myself up.

Upon closer inspection of the reconstruction, I notice the damage done must've been _bad_ \- however, most of the buildings destroyed have at least the base built up, and there's a giant boulder blocking the exit. I can barely see the boulder, but I can still tell it's a boulder, and that it's acting as some sort of temporary wall plug.

I turn my head directly downwards, at the ground of the district. Not much is going on there - _perfect place to land._ I spot a half-destroyed two-story building propped right where I'm looking, and knowing I can use that for cover, I stab the exterior of Wall Rose with my hookshot, clutch the handle, and hop into Trost. I've went through the process of getting over one of the fifty meter high walls a few times, and when I'm returning to the ground I use my hookshot to lower myself slowly. I didn't even know it had that function, but it's pretty useful.

When I reach the ground, I let go of the hookshot and the handle rockets back to the top of the wall, reunites with the hook, and falls back down. Stuffing it in my tunic, I bolt towards the two-story building and hop into what must've been a window - _yep, it's a window,_ I think, as I land onto a bunch of glass shards. I pick myself up and scan the interior of the house - very withered brick, dusty floor, a chunk of the second floor off to the left, and a ladder over to the right, propped against the wall.

 _I wonder if I should've just avoided Trost for now,_ I think, grabbing ahold of the ladder. _Would've been easier, unless these people don't mind me taking a stroll through the district. Kinda wanted to see what was going on here._

I climb onto the second floor, immediately greeted by a hole in the wall. I lower myself a bit, barely peeking my head out from the hole.

"Kid."

_Huh?_

"Out. This entire area's off limits."

I spot a man a little to the left of me on the ground staring up at me.

"Oh. Sorry."

I hop out of the hole, onto the ground.

"From that house to Wall Rose is off limits. We're still getting things settled and repairing some buildings, and can't keep an eye on anybody."

"Ok."

_Well, at least I know I'm allowed here. I guess I'll take a look around._

I start taking a stroll to the side of Trost people are allowed on. The buildings, being more similar and tightly packed than that one city a little south of Ehrmich (didn't stay there that long & don't know the name), stretch out in all directions, with red rooftops and whitish-yellow exterior for the most part. The ground is mostly concrete/some kind of hard material and the rest is grass.

**. . .**

_Alright. I'm done here. Nothing else to see._

After wandering about in Trost for around thirty minutes (give or take), I finally decide to leave and start heading south again. I start heading towards the exit of the district. Jogging past the portion of the district that has been mostly repaired, I gaze into the sky above the wall before I'm eventually standing right in front of it. I hold my gaze at the sky, the sun still high but nearing noon - until I hear the sound of lighting behind me, followed by a rapid vibration travelling through my legs. _The hell?_ I turn my head back up to the sky to see it's only partly cloudy, and no sign on any storms. _Where the hell did_ _ **that**_ _come from?_

Mind still set on retrieving Epona and my items, I hookshot the district wall and hookshot the top once I fly halfway, then lower myself down. I reach the ground, immediately scanning everything surrounding me, from the giant forest off in the distance to the left to withered chunks of Wall Rose a little off to the right.

_Titan territory._

_I got this. I got through here easily the first time around, the second time's gotta be the same. Right?_

As usual, I turn into a Goron, curl into a ball, and start rocketing forwards.

And everything's fine for a few minutes. I roll along, dodging trees and bumps, until suddenly a giant hand appears out of nowhere. It doesn't grab me, though; I go right on under it, not bothering to turn back. _That thing can't catch up with me._ I feel the vibration in the ground of the titan walking around for a brief moment until I'm already out of its view.

Just after I considered that no longer a problem, I spot a few huge titans off to the right out in the distance, currently unprovoked - I swerve a little to the left in order to avoid them. Right whenever I do _that,_ some more titans appear out in front of me. They immediately spot me, about three or four of 'em, and start to reach for me before passing through in between one of the titans' legs. _Whew. That was close._

Still zooming somewhat south, I start seeing more and more titans to the left and right of me, though none becoming a problem. I slightly change directions multiple times in order to avoid titans until I realize I no longer know if I'm going south, southeast, or southwest. _Crap._

 _There's a giant forest off to the left of me, and I remember almost being in line with that,_ I think, trying to get back on track. _Now it seems like I'm heading away from it._ I turn left a tiny bit, still focused on the forest. _Wait, no - that small-looking city was almost directly behind me, right?_ I had recently passed by a probably abandoned town and aligned myself with it afterwards.

 _Dammit. Now I'm probably completely off track. That city's way to the right of me now._ Frustratingly confused, I start searching around for something to trigger an "aha!" moment when I spot yet another group of titans out in front of me. _You've gotta be freakin' kidding me._

Then, I decide to take my mask off and see if I can figure this out without moving at Goron speed, and knowing I'll have to fight the three medium-sized titans a little ways from me, I transform into my Hylian self and crash onto the ground. My blade is unsheathed from my scabbard on my back, and my bow is wrapped around my torso, ready to be used at any moment.

I grab my hookshot from my pocket with my right hand and aim it towards the group of titans. At this point, they've noticed me and are rapidly approaching, so I go ahead and release and the hook sinks itself into one of the titans' necks, a little to the left.. Swinging towards the blood-hungry titan, I remember the weak point - _the nape of its neck._ Knowing that, I raise my sword, and upon reaching its neck I stab its nape, my body landing precisely on its shoulder by doing so. I retrieve my sword and stand up on the titan's shoulder, around seven meters off the ground and land a hook on another titan's neck (on the back), just as it's turning around. It flings me around in the air for a second until the handle of my hookshot reaches its destination, followed by a quick nape-stab.

_Child's play._

Before that titan collapses onto the ground, I land another hook on the one remaining titan, this time landing on its head - it quickly starts making random movements, causing the chain of my hookshot to shake. I hold the trigger on my handle which stops it from moving, allowing me to swing downwards. Swerving towards its oddly proportioned leg, I land a strike on its ankle, forcibly cutting through it. The titan collapses, leaving its nape wide open.

_Titan Girl's body parts regenerate when she's in titan form - I wonder if the same's for titans. I mean, she has a ton of other powers, but still._

The titan's leg where I cut from its ankle down starts steaming, causing me to assume I'm correct about their regeneration and immediately finishing it off with a stab to its nape.

_Yeah. Titan killing is child's play._

**. . .**

I see it. I finally see it.

Wall Maria.

_YES!_

_My god, this trip felt WAY longer than last time._

_Maybe that's due to Situation City and titans - the latter being more of a problem._

Once I approach the wall, I quickly hookshot myself over it to be greeted by a district stretching out to the right of me.

"YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!" I scream, knowing this is _exactly_ where I wanted to end up. Now I know precisely where the tree is with Epona, and I immediately lower myself off to the left of the district (don't know its name) and put my Goron Mask back on. Familiar with my surroundings, joy fills my body, when I see _the tree._

And I see Epona standing under the tree, and I see my two bags with my masks and items, and I see the tree housing no apples - _Epona ate them all. I knew she was gonna be alright._

Turning back into my Hylian self, I pat Epona, who's also very happy to see me, and browse my two bags to see everything still there - my Fierce Deity Mask being the one I first notice, barely visible at the bottom of the bag.

 _Well, that problem's out of the way,_ I think, tying my bag straps to Epona's saddle before hopping on.

* * *

" _Dear Scouts:_

_Due to the recent events that took place among the districts of Stohess and Ehrmich, I am calling all Scouts back to the HQ. You are all scattered about and just in a bad position, and some of you don't even have ODM gear. We don't know where Annie will strike next, and will come up with an entirely new plan when you all get here. I am currently in Mitras, along with Hanji and Erwin, but by the time you receive this I will be well on my way to HQ._

_From Levi"_

"What do you think?" she asks.

The green particles barely allowing me to breathe, I manage to reply, "Kill… you…"

A mere chuckle is what I receive in response.

* * *


	9. Hospitalized

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick stroll through town.

_**Sasha's Point of View** _

After I thought it couldn't get any worse, _it got worse._

Around ten minutes after being given the unfortunate news, I'm currently making my way south through Zingi so I can find Hospital #2, where Connie is supposedly at.

Slipping through the dense streets of horse carriages & wagons, pretty much the only two modes of transportation people use in this city, I rethink my plans of what I'm going to do, where I'm going to go, and what I think could happen next - regarding the whole Female Titan chain of events, of course.

_I think my next course of action after finding Connie would be to go to the Scout HQ. From here on foot, it'd take quite a while, and I'd have to stop at every city._

_Actually, I'd need a wagon - for Connie, of course. I'm completely broke and Connie probably is, too, so the least I can do is have someone loan me a wagon to carry him around in._

_The Scout HQ's extremely far away, so I don't think I should focus on that just yet. Somewhere safe to stay for a day or two and somewhere it'd be difficult for Annie to wriggle into and destroy would be good. And I think I know where that would be._

_The safest place besides Wall Sina interior with the royal family & Mitras, the midway point between Zingi and Scout HQ, and my favorite district -_

_District Yarckel._

**. . .**

"No, regular is fine. I'm mostly awake, so I don't need extra coffee."

"I'm just sayin', deluxe costs the same as regular usually does because regular is also discounted."

"Sir, I don't like saying this, but I'm out of money and can only afford what I'm buying. I found all of these coins from off the ground in an alley."

"I'm sorry. I'll get your meal right away."

I had finally collected some money, and since I can't really do anything on an empty stomach I decided to spend it on food.

I've been walking south for around twenty minutes, and according to random citizens of Zingi I'm still in the northern portion of the city. I don't know how big this city is, but I think it's bigger than an average district because I've barely made any progress.

"Okay, a regular coffee, biscuit, and boiled bass fish - that it, ma'am?" the man at the counter asks after a few minutes.

"That's it, thanks," I tell him, placing all of my gold coins in his hand. He hands me a tray with my food, flashes me a smile, and directs me to a table.

_Ah… Relaxation. Something I'm not gonna have for a while._

I ease into my chair, pausing before I eat my meal, and take a look around. A mainly wooden restaurant, with the kitchen portion having a stone floor. Glass windows make up more of the walls than wood itself, allowing people to see almost anything coming from three sides of the restaurant, excluding the kitchen.

Then, I remember that I'm hungry, and start shoveling my food into my mouth, completing the entire dish in a few minutes - though, my coffee's still hot, so I let it cool down for a minute before drinking it. Once the coffee is cool enough, I slurp it down in an instant before noticing Alex and his mother enter the restaurant.

Yeah. That just happened.

_Welp, good thing I just finished my coffee._

Avoiding a potentially awkward moment, I arise from my seat and pace towards the door once Alex is in the middle of this place. Upon pushing the door open I hear someone call, "Sasha!"

_So close._

"Alex! What are you doing?" his mom yells out, as Alex sprints across the restaurant towards me. I turn back around and exit the restaurant, not making eye contact. He still pursues me, pacing after me until I turn around and tell him, "No."

"'No' what?"

"I'm not talking to you."

"I'm sorry! I feel super guilty!"

_Well, he is just a kid, and probably couldn't do anything about it. Still, I don't feel like talking to him._

"Sasha! Please, my mom's about to come get me! Tell me you forgive me so I don't feel guilty!"

"Fine! I forgive you! Go away!" I tell him, beginning to walk in the opposite direction.

"Wait! Take me with you!"

"No."

"Please!" he pleads, trying to keep up by walking beside me.

"You don't even know where I'm going," I reply, still walking.

"I don't care! This place is boring!"

"You're 11 years old, Alex. I'm not taking you with me. Bye."

He says nothing after my last reply, and I glance back to see his mother scolding him while taking him back into that one restaurant. I kind of feel bad, but then remember that he made me think we were all good until his family screwed me over. _Well, that encounter with Alex was short-lived - wonder if that's the last I'll ever see that kid._

_...Probably._

**. . .**

Trekkin' Zingi. Probably the most boring thing I've ever done in my life.

Forty minutes after leaving (minus eating breakfast at that one place), I'm apparently "halfway" to the hospital that Connie's at. I'm still completely broke, and since Connie is unable to help me with that, along with any other problem I may have, blocking out the fact that I'm completely screwed becomes harder.

I've been walking, and walking, and walking, and walking, and walking… Oh! I wonder what's next?

Walking.

I'd rather have some money and be walking, or maybe have Armin tagging along, or have no problem of a titan that could destroy an entire city looming over me, or maybe have Connie being in an OK condition, but no, none of those things are happening.

It sucks. It really does.

I mean, at least I don't have to _think -_ like, right now, I'm pretty much mindlessly walking, but since I'm making progress it doesn't really matter. All I really care about is heading in the direction of Hospital #2 in general, and I'll worry about the specific location once I'm close enough.

I've done enough worrying the last twenty four hours, though.

After walking for a few more minutes, I decide to chill out in an alley between two brick buildings. I lean up against one of the buildings, away from the direction I'm supposed to be heading, so I can remember which way is which. I gear my head into the sky for a moment. _Noon. I don't think I can make it to Yarckel today.. I think there's a city halfway there, so maybe I can stop there._

_Damn, I have to stop half of halfway, and even then the trip's still extremely long._

I eventually begin travelling again, and before I know it, my legs are extremely tired, I have a horrible headache, and I'm dehydrated & hungry. What I once thought was a quick stroll through town to get Connie is now a far-fetched quest that never seems to end. I almost call it a day when I notice someone selling official-looking maps of the city, and I feel a little excited but then remember I have no money.

"Hey. How much do those cost?" I ask anyways, to a man on the corner of a busy intersection, who seems to be selling the maps.

"Five," he replies without looking at me, trying to look at something across the intersection.

"Five coins?"

"Yes. You have the money?" he asks. He's still trying to spot whatever he is he's looking for.

"No. Just wondering." The man turns to me with a peculiar look.

"Well.. do you _need_ the map?"

"Kinda."

"Good. I got something you can do, and I'll give you a free map."

_Hm._

_Think I'll consider this._

"What is it?"

"There's a guy - let's just call him Maxus. Find him and tell him Lex will be waiting in MH."

"MH? What's that?"

"What's _this?_ It's a free map. Go do what I asked."

"Um.. Okay. How do I find this 'Maxus'?"

"Figure it out, kid. I got stuff to do."

_Welp, that was vague._

**. . .**

_He's staring straight at me. Is that him?_

"Are you Maxus?" I ask, looking back at him. "If you are, someone told me to tell you something."

"Oh. Well, yeah, I'm Maxus. What is it?"

"Lex will be waiting in 'MH'."

"Alright. Thanks."

_He seemed kind of unsure at first, but whatever. Free map._

**. . .**

"Alright. Done. Map?"

He's trying to spot something across the intersection again. _What the hell is he looking for?_

"Lex! Map!"

"Oh, uh, sorry. Name's not Lex, and here you go," he replies, quickly handing me my map and resuming his cross-intersection search.

"What are you trying to look for?" I question him, peering over where his eyes are locked on.

Doesn't answer.

"Uh, Lex - I mean, whoever you are, what are you looking for?"

"I gave you your map, and that's a done deal. You've never seen me in your life, and you've never heard the names Maxus or Lex. Okay?"

"Fine."

I look down at my map, open it, and skim over it.

_This is one complex city._

_There. Hospital #2 - it's just labelled "Hospital," but it's close to here. Perfect._

My headache is still present, and I'm still exhausted, but the fact that I'm getting really close blocks that out.

"Sasha!" a familiar voice abruptly calls out amidst my thoughts.

As I turn my head I realize who's voice it is, and I ecstatically reply "ARMIN!" and sprint towards him.

"Where the hell have you been?!" I ask, still appearing extremely happy.

"Long story. Are you trying to find Connie?"

"Yes. I'm guessing you went back to Alex's?"

"Affirmative."

"Alright. Come on, let's get moving," I say, smiling.

While walking, he tells me what happened, and why he disappeared - when he was heading back to Alex's house, before I started searching for him, he claims to have seen Mikasa, who then went into a frenzy, scrambling all over town, thinking it was during "the dinner incident" - that's what Armin calls it, when Annie had attacked Ehrmich, that is. Mikasa came to her senses and told Armin she was going to find Eren, and after many attempts to get her to stay he gave up and went back to Alex's after I had left, was informed of Connie's location, paid a bit of what little gold coins he has to ride in a carriage, which brings him here.

We talk about our plans, and I explain to him what I want to do - head to Scout HQ, that is. He agrees but says we'll have to stop at this town called Merchant's Heaven, which sounds like a pretty cool town, by the name, at least. Our conversation moves to different topics, from 'the kid' and if he took on Annie, to recalling our Scout training when we were a bit younger, to stupidly random things, like, at one point, I bring up, "Mikasa sure does have a thing for Eren. You think…?" to which he replies, "Eh, I honestly think she does but Eren, having his mind set on killing titans, doesn't see it." Before I know it, the hospital's right in front of me, and about an hour has passed since I got my map.

"We're here."

It's tall, wide, made out of steel, and crowded. It stands out from the other buildings, catching my attention upon arriving in this area. It looks to be about five stories, with windows in every possible location, and a fence surrounding the entire area. The entrance seems to be guarded, as well, with men armed with rifles standing by the gate entrance and door entrance. "Well, Zingi _does_ get more dangerous the more south you travel," Armin comments.

"What?"

"Yeah. That's what someone told me, at least, and it was confirmed by a few strangers."

"Well, I haven't noticed anything."

"Well, I have. Anyways, let's go get Connie."

Upon reaching the gate, the two guards, wearing uniforms that look similar to the MP uniforms, ask Armin and I what "our business is" at the hospital.

"Coming to pick up a friend," Armin replies.

"You can't just enter the place and grab your 'friend,' it's not that simple. It requires a signature from the member who put him/her in there, along with a fee."

"The person who put him in there did so without our consent, and is in no way related to him. And why would there be a fee to get someone _out_ of this hospital?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. All of your whiny complaints go to a guy named Lex, that's all I know."

"Lex? He was supposed to talk to this guy named Maxus," I tell him as soon as I remember that.

The two guards freeze, staring straight at me like I screamed a curse word out loud.

"...or at least that's what I was told?"

They continue to stand still. Their appearance appears both shocked, angry, confused, and scared at the same time; they eyes, which are oddly dilating, are all focusesdon me, and solely me. I can tell their hands are clutching their guns tightly, like a threat is nearby; whether or not _I'm_ that threat, I don't know, but it certainly seems like it. Then, it all begins to make sense.

" _I gave you your map, and that's a done deal. You've never seen me in your life, and you've never heard the names Maxus or Lex. Okay?"_

_I think I just said something I wasn't supposed to._

"Where did you hear that name?" one of the guards questions me, in an interrogative tone.

"Uh… Nowhere. I think I just heard it pop up in conversation somewhere, but that's all I remember."

"I'm going to ask you again, and after that we'll take the answers out of you by force. Where did you hear the names Maxus and Lex?"

"Alright. If you promise me I can get my friend out of your 'hospital,' I'll tell you exactly how I got those names."

"I wasn't asking for a bargain. Ry, bring in the other kid, too,"

"W-what?" I confusingly ask before one of the guards grips my wrist, with the other doing the same to Armin's, followed by the sound of my muffled screaming, being blocked out by the guard's hand. _What the hell is going on?_

The last thing I see are multiple people staring at me, Armin, and the guards, but they aren't doing anything. Just staring.

I come to my senses. I'm in a chair, and - in a dungeon? My hands are tied behind me, along with my legs tied to the chair, at well. There are torches on the stone walls, barely giving off enough light to tell what's what. The cell I'm in is fairly small, and it seems to be at the end of some kind of hallway. The atmosphere seems medieval-like, which is a time period Armin spoke of, and it seems like this place was made during that period.

After figuring out what's going on, I ask myself in my head, _What the hell kind of hospital is this?_

"Sasha?" I hear Armin weakly call out. He doesn't sound well; I hope he hasn't been beaten or anything, as he doesn't know anything about Maxus or Lex. _I_ don't know anything about Maxus or Lex.

At first I hesitate to reply, terrified by my current situation, but I convince myself social interaction is the only way to calm myself. "A-Armin?"

"Armin, where are we?"

He doesn't reply. Instead, he sits in the cell next to me in silence, which I then mirror, staring at the wall behind the cell bars. The absolute silence allows me to hear the muffled sound of commotion happening on the floor above me, like an argument between two men - then, a gunshot. I even hear something fall to the floor, probably the body of whoever was just shot. Stomping footsteps after that, and a slammed door.

The silence returns. I call out Armin's name multiple times, begging to talk to him to hinder my uneasiness; he still fails to reply or do anything to acknowledge me, but at one point I do hear his chair shuffle around a bit.

The sound of a door opening at the end of the hallway I'm in breaks the silence. Pacing footsteps, with brief pauses fast movement. Then, I hear the sound of both footsteps and something dragging across the floor - something wooden. As the sound nears the end of the hallway, my heart races even faster until the person pauses in front of Armin's cell for a moment, and then continues.

Female. Ponytail, dark clothing, tall, blonde hair. Menacing look, and overall menacing appearance. She's dragging a chair behind her, and she places it in front of the cell, towards me.

"Alrighty, let's set some ground rules - no questions, only speak when asked, no lying, no trying to escape, blah, blah, blah, you know the drill, right?" she asks, looking me in the eye with a relaxed attitude.

"What?"

"Are you deaf or something?" This response took me by surprise, as it greatly differs from the formality of the guards outside of this "hospital."

"No. Look, I don't know what's going on, I just came here to g-"

"Shut it. Don't do anything out of line like _that_ and you'll be fine, okay? Okay."

"First question: How do you know the names 'Maxus' and 'Lex'?"

"T-this guy selling newspapers offered me a free - wait, no, he was selling maps, and he said if I tell this guy named Maxus that Lex will be waiting for him or something he'd give me a free map. I was broke, desperate to find my friend, and I have no idea who Maxus or Lex is."

"If you don't know who Maxus is, how did you send him that message?"

"I called out his name until someone replied, and I told him that message."

She is taken aback by this, and replies, "You have _got_ to be kidding me. So you told some random stranger that _he_ is going to meet Lex somewhere? And god knows how many people have now heard the name Maxus… Kid, you've screwed up big time."

"I didn't know."

"Whatever. I gotta go talk to someone about this. While you were taking a nap in that chair your boyfriend claimed he didn't know anything, and his condition is, well - not good. At least _you_ told us something. I'll be right back."

_What did they do to Armin_

_No_

_What are they going to do to me_

_I just realized I didn't tell them he'd be waiting in MH, whatever that is_

"Armin," I whisper.

"Armin!"

Still, no response.

"I'd suggest you wait until I'm actually _out_ the room to start talking to him, genius," that girl who interrogated me says from across the hallway.

**. . .**

"Okay, now that your boyfriend's sitting next to you, do you feel more comfortable? I'm gonna need to ask you some more questions. Ok?"

"Your name is Sasha - Sasha Blouse, correct?"

"How do you know that?"

"I take that as a yes. And that weak little worthlessness is Armin?"

"What did you do to him?"

"He didn't feel like cooperating."

Anger starts to build up inside my body, seeing Armin, with bruises on his arms and a black eye, passed out in a chair next to me. Caused by _this_ person. They're also holding Connie in some kind of place, hopefully not a cell like this. I'm the alone one able to actually do anything about it.

The one person you can't depend on has your life in her hands, Armin and Connie.

"You see that bow, behind your chair?" I ask the girl sitting in front of me.

"I told you not to spe-"

"Shut up. That bow is the bow I'm going to use to drive an arrow through your heart."

"We'll see about that."

_**Link's Point of View** _

Ok. I've got Epona, I've got all of my other stuff back, now I just have to get back to the inner wall. And I'm outside the outer wall.

I'm riding Epona just by the side of the gigantic wall, towering above me like I'm a tiny ant. Compared to the monstrosities that are the titans, it's _still_ huge. _How could this wall have been breached?_ It's mossy, rough, beaten, scratched, and looks plain worn out. Reminds me of the Forest Temple.

I travel alongside Wall Maria until I reach the sharp turn left, which is where the outermost & southernmost district is. I almost reach into my bag and take out my hookshot until I realize I have Epona, and have to travel with _her_ and all of my stuff. _This is going to take way longer than I thought._

**. . .**

Traversing the land behind Wall Maria. Probably the most boring thing I've ever done.

Everything seems so… Abandoned. That's because it _is_ , but everything around me gives off an unwelcome vibe. It reminds me of Hyrule Castle Town, except way, way larger. Every single small town I pass through has completely demolished buildings, and at the same time has completely preserved buildings that haven't fallen yet; at one point, when I'm exploring one of them, a loud footstep resonates the town, and the roof collapses above me, and I barely manage to hop out of the doorway, escaping the titan that's looking for something to eat.

The more I travel this - this wasteland, the less I feel like I'm in danger, as I always end up staying out of harm's way. I'm always just out of a titan's reach and I'm always just a tiny bit faster than the giant humanoids on my horse, and eventually when I see a titan I think, _Oh, another one of those guys,_ instead of the usual _Ugh, a titan._

It almost becomes hard to believe these monsters destroyed a third of this civilization when none of them can even touch me. It's child's play, killing these things, and the only reason I'd want to kill one right now is for sport. I _do_ kill a couple for fun, though, using my hookshot and bow, landing perfect shots on their napes. It's the same deal every time. Hookshot near the neck, swing around a bit, strike the back of the neck, or the nape. Didn't know what a nape was until I was informed of it by someone at the "tent village." _Wonder how they're doing._

Travelling through villages and searching for potential useful stuff becomes more of a nuisance than an opportunity; by the time the sun is just barely visible behind Wall Maria I stop searching them altogether. Seeing the sun ready to set off in the distance, surrounded by the vibrant pink sky, reminds me that I have to find a place to sleep. Thinking of that makes my eyes feel heavier, and before I know it, I find myself in an abandoned shack, on a rusty bed and an uncomfortable pillow, looking off into the Wasteland - that's what I'll call it - from a small window. Epona is sleeping just by the bed I'm on, and the shack, which isn't even apart of a bigger town, is just big enough for me and her. _Hopefully no titans decide that rusty shacks make a good midnight snack,_ I think, closing my eyes and succumbing to my drowsiness.

The warm sun on my face is the first sense I feel upon my awakening, and then seeing Epona still sleeping is the second.

Noticing a shadowy figure off in the distance from the small window of the shack is the third.


	10. Enter Shadow Link

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link's shadow decides he's important to the plot.

_**Eren's Point of View** _

_**-before the dinner incident-** _

I still can't get over what Mikasa told me.

I got over the fact that I was acting like a you-know-what and actually started to think about what she said. I'm still in District Ehrmich, laying down on a bed, but I'll probably head back to the Scout HQ once we get the word from Levi. The others are out doing something right now, taking a break from the usual Scout routine. I've just been thinking, and thinking, and thinking…

I should probably apologize. I really should. You know what? That's what I'm going to go do.

She's probably at that soup place just down the street.

Upon exiting the room and strolling down the hall of whatever place I'm in, I'm greeted by Reiner, who seems to be searching for me.

"Eren. I was wondering where you were, glad to see you're okay. Wasn't there to see the fight between you and Annie in Stohess."

"Eh, yeah, I think I'm fine. I'm on my way to find Mikasa, to apologize to her about something. Where are the others? Y'know, Bertholdt, Ymir, Christa?"

"Oh, we're heading back to Scout HQ early. Probably going to do some stuff on the way. I'm guessing you heard about Annie escaping?"

"Yeahhh... Anyways, gotta go."

**. . .**

_Can't find her._ I've looked all around this place. Even though Soup Palace is extremely crowded, I know I still would've found her by now. That said, I've yet to ask anyone for her whereabouts, but then again, I don't know where anyone is that _could_ know where she is. Maybe I can just wait here. Despite the loud and crowded atmosphere, I would probably easily be able to relax in one of these booths. My legs are still exhausted and my lightheadedness hasn't worn off yet from the Stohess battle with Annie, so staying here doesn't seem like a bad idea. Though, I'm not entirely sure this is where Mikasa is going later.

After a brief conversation with a few people who work at Soup Palace, I instantly realize I forgot the "reserving a seat" thing, because in contrast to the other Ehrmich restaurants, this place is the most busiest around lunchtime. Every time I ask if I may be able to stay in one of the booths, but not order anything, the employee responds with the generic, "You're not allowed to do that." And the employees, every time after I ask them that question, usually just rush off to their business after giving me their answer - which gives me an idea. They're so focused on running this restaurant, and don't have time to focus on one harmless "problem," so maybe I can just wait here anyways.

And I do. I sit in a booth and chill. I stare out the window at the busy streets of Ehrmich, and watch all the steaming hot plates of food pass by me. At one point, a waitress approaches the booth I'm sitting in. I end up ordering some kind of vegetable soup without even knowing it, because apparently replying "Cool" to the waitress talking about a new type of soup the restaurant is just now introducing means that I want to buy some. I don't even have any money, but I eat it anyways in hopes of somebody I know showing up to pay for it. Nobody does, though, and when the waitress returns I claim that I didn't actually order anything and that I don't have to pay for it.

"It was free. My boss told me to give people like you some of the new soup for free to both help you and see your reaction to the soup. By the way, how'd you like the soup?"

"What? What do you mean, 'people like me'?"

She freezes, and a look of "oh no" appears on her face.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to insult you or anything. We're supposed to be giving to the needy."

"Why would there be 'needy' people in _this_ district? And I'm not needy, and I don't know why you thought that."

"You - you look a little roughed up…?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm poor. Looks can be deceiving. The reason I look so roughed up is because I refused to believe that."

"Okay… Thanks for not getting super-angry."

"No problem? Heh," I reply, as she returns to her normal restaurant business.

I give up on my search when lunchtime ends, and convince myself Mikasa wouldn't come here for dinner. She might be back at that place I was staying at. Probably should've stayed there. Though, if she bumped into Reiner, she'd know I'm looking for her… I don't know. When I exit through the doors of Soup Palace, with the complex layout of District Ehrmich laying out in front of me, I instantly forget where I'm supposed to be going. I'm not even sure what kind of building I was staying in, just that I was staying in it after the Stohess battle. The only way I was able to return to it was being led by Mikasa…

 _Eh, as long as I didn't leave anything important there,_ I think, looking down at my father's basement key hanging around my neck.

**. . .**

The sky's getting darker, my eyes are getting heavier, and my body's becoming more exhausted than it was before, despite the time being around 6 o'clock. _I have to set things straight with Mikasa. I've always known she's attached to me, but that's all I've ever known. A conversation at the soup place is all I'm looking for._ Since I'm probably not going to find my own place to sleep before it's too late, I decide to crash at somebody else's place. I'm denied a few times, but eventually a nice-looking family lets me into their house. A middle-aged couple lives there, with two sons, both of which are just a little younger than me, it seems.

Their house gives off a bittersweet vibe, which hits me upon entering; it reminds me of my old house. I see a medium-sized dinner table across the room, which causes me to flash back to eating dinner with my family, and Mikasa. The parents offer me snacks, saying "Dinner will be ready soon, but you look hungry, so here you go," and also grab me a blanket and seat me onto a couch. For a moment I forget about everything going on and just convince myself I'm at home, relaxing, not a care in the world…

My thoughts are interrupted by a call from the mother. "Dinner's ready! I bought a chicken earlier today from that new market just south of the chain of restaurants, so I hope you all like it. Oh, can someone go get that girl and tell her dinner's ready?"

_What girl? Didn't know there was a girl here - doesn't sound like she's referring to her daughter._

"I'm right here," a peculiar voice states.

My heart stops, my hands suddenly curl into fists, and shivers travel down my spine.

I abruptly turn my head to see _her._ She's staring back at me, obviously surprised, as well.

Annie. She's wearing the Scout Regiment hood. But, by the looks of it, she's taking the appearance of some innocent girl.

At this point I'm completely overwhelmed by surprise, rage, and stress all at once, frozen in time, my eyes locked on that hateful, terrible human - no, she's not a human. She's a monster. She eventually takes her eyes off me and seats herself at the dinner table. I decide not to start anything at the moment in this house, especially in front of those kids, and _especially_ considering Annie can make it look like she's innocent. She's been playing the act for God knows how long.

We eat dinner. The family talks, and Annie talks with them. They chat about various things. I'm not paying any attention to their conversations, only the fact that a psychopathic murderer is having a conversation with this family. I can't take it. My heart is racing at the speed of sound, and I become scared that I'm going to flip out and kill her. I want to. The faces of all of my friends she's taken away from me appear in my mind, only further fueling the flame building up in my body. I haven't even touched the chicken the mother has prepared. Annie's already finished hers.

"Did the snacks fill 'ya up? I was afraid that would happen," the mother lightheartedly says. She has long, brown hair, and is quite pretty, with a blissful smile. Annie being in the same room as this person just blows my mind. "No, I'm just thinking about something. I'm not entirely filled up."

"Why did you crash at this place?" asks Annie, from across the table. She gives me cold look, and I take a good look at those - those eyes, before reluctantly replying, "I'm in the Scout Regiment, and I have no place to stay. You?"

"Same. That's why I'm wearing the hood."

"I-I've never seen you at HQ. Why is that?"

The question doesn't take her by surprise, as she almost instantly replies, "I just joined."

"Well, I didn't know a sweet little girl like you would want to be doing something dangerous like that. And as for you, I can tell you would want to be doing something like that - still, risking your life like that, what do your parents think of it?" the mother asks me, again, lightheartedly, though a little less on the latter portion.

Memories of seeing my mother being eaten by a titan flood back to me, before eventually snapping out of it. Everybody at the table is looking at me, and since the two boys aren't at the table (probably in their rooms or something), I solemnly reply, "Both of my parents were murdered by titans, and so were a few of my friends." I shoot Annie a subtle, menacing look during that last portion. I know I don't know if my dad is alive, because I haven't seen him in quite awhile, but that would take longer to explain. So for now I'll say he's dead.

The mother is taken aback by my response. After a moment of processing what I said, she tells me, "I.. I can see why you joined, now. My father died in the Scouts, and he joined because _his_ father was eaten by one of those monsters… I'm very sorry."

"It-it's fine," I tell her, staring down at my dinner, which I haven't touched.

The father leaves, and he hadn't talked to me at all. He has short, black hair, a menacing face, and looks a little roughed up. So, then, when the mother says, "I don't think I'm hungry anymore. I'll go make your beds," my heart drops again. From that point until the mother is out of sight, I glare at Annie furiously.

I thought she was cool. She taught me how to fight. She convinced me she was a friend. But after the battle with Stohess, seeing her as the Female Titan, this - this anger started to build up in me. Someone I trusted with my life had brutally murdered some of my closest friends. I didn't want to believe it. Mikasa told me to. Mikasa's never liked Annie. No longer holding back, I clutch a knife on the table and attempt to land a strike on Annie's head - she grabs the blade portion with her hand before it reaches her.

"Not so fast, titan boy," she tells me.

She holds the position.

"Blind rage. That's all you are. Always making fast decisions, always giving in to your hate."

"Don't you remember what I taught you?" she asks.

**. . .**

_**a few years back** _

_The first thing I hear, which isn't the usual wake-up call from Mikasa, is Annie's voice._

" _Eren, wake up."_

" _I-I'm already up."_

" _Then that means you don't need any coffee. Get up, we have to train earlier than usual because of our exam today."_

" _Annie, I gotta have coffee. Especially wa- *yawn* waking up at this hour. What time is it?"_

" _Precisely 3 AM. I'll be downstairs, so be ready in five minutes."_

_She almost exits the room when I say, "Wait."_

_She stops, but doesn't look back at me._

" _Ten minutes," I say._

" _Fine."_

_She's already awake and ready to go at three o'clock in the morning. Astounding. I stumble off of my bed, then downstairs, instantly remembering I don't know how to make coffee. Mikasa usually makes some for me. After forcing myself to stay awake without coffee, I make my way outside to the usual spot Annie and I train._

_The grass is wet, it's foggy, the atmosphere is eerie, and the only distant thing I can see are the giant mountains looming in the distance. I'm almost distracted by the atmosphere when Annie, out of nowhere, tries to land a kick on my side, followed by me grabbing her leg and her tripping to the ground. "Nice," she comments._

" _What's lesson that's worth waking up at 3 are you teaching me?"_

" _It's about anger. I've never been much of an angry person myself, but I still know how to control it when I do."_

" _That definitely sounds helpful.."_

" _Yes. You tend to let your rage take full control of your actions, which can hinder you - instead, you can use it to your advantage. Being angry can race your heart, stress you out, do all sorts of things… If you channel all of that energy in a positive way, then your chances of winning a fight are greatly increased."_

" _Well then, let's get started."_

**. . .**

_**present day** _

_I forgot the specific things she taught me then, just that anger can be used positively - wait, why am I thinking of that now?_

_Nevermind. The answer's right in front of me._

"Honestly, Annie, I don't give a shit what you taught me. Or at least when you compare it to the present. Either way, _you're going to burn in hell._ "

I jump over the table, grabbing her by the waist, her head slamming against the counter behind the table - unaffected, she gets on her feet and tries to kick me in the head. I duck, and stumble to my feet, giving her a cold stare from across the room. "Why haven't you turned into a titan?" I ask her. No response. Instead, she flips the table in between us over, and I barely manage to leap over it. As soon as I land in front of Annie, she punches me in the stomach, giving me the feeling like I'm gonna hurl.

The fight continues. Both of us try to use our surroundings to our advantage, such as throwing knives, using the table for cover, and hitting each other's heads with pots & pans, but none of us bother to go titan. None of the family residing in this household seems to want to know what's going on down here. I guess that's both good on theirs and Annie's part, because they don't need to be involved.

At one point, I notice Annie with a very large knife in her hand, and manage to strip it from her before she charges at me. Instantly, she directs the knife back at me, using both of her hands, trying to push it into my chest. I hold it back from my chest successfully, even though she manages to back me up into a counter. _She's not strong enough._

Once Annie realizes she can't do that, she trips me, and pushes me the opposite direction, to the middle of the room. I still have the knife in my hand, but then she finds yet another knife of similar size, and attempts to blindly strike me. Out of all the parts of my body she could've aimed, she strikes the knife I'm holding, and using full force, and push her back, sending her flying across the room, landing headfirst into a wall.

"I've taught you well, Eren," she says, almost lightheartedly.

I then realize something. She's freaking unaffected by this fight, yet I'm bloodied up on my fists, my face, and even my feet, somehow. Yet, she's still looking like an innocent, tiny girl.

Still clutching the giant knife, I charge at her, only to be stopped a mere centimeter from her head. She's not holding my wrist. "That was close, boy."

"What the hell?"

She shoves me back onto the ground, and I abruptly feel weakened, especially in the hand I tried to use the knife to strike her with just now.

"Congratulations. I would've been dead by now, I'll give you that. But for now, I'm done."

_Despite my efforts, I still haven't gotten on my feet._

_I can't move._

_I can't lift my arms, or my legs, and everything in my sight is tinted light green._

"A-annie," I barely manage to utter before _only_ being able to see green.

**. . .**

I awaken, immediately greeted by a feeling of dread. What I'm supposed to be dreading is the 2nd feeling.

"Wake up, Eren."

_Annie._

"I don't know if you are able to remember it, but after our little chit chat at that family's house you got extremely angry and went titan. I had to contain you within the district. I can't toy around with you anymore, as I've got bigger problems. So let's compromise."

I don't register what she just told me until I familiarize myself with my surroundings. I'm on top of a wall, with a dark, cloudy, gloomy sky up above me. Annie stands out in front of me, with me lying down on the side of the wall.

"Eren. I can throw you off the edge in the instant, or kill you in many other ways. But I'm not."

"W-what?"

"For certain reasons, I need you _alive,_ but I can't let you go wandering around and blabbing about me. But I also can't just leave you in a room for you to starve, either, because you won't be willing to work with me."

"What the hell are you talking about…"

"So, I'm willing to do something. We're currently standing on Wall Rose."

She looks off the the left. "Over there is known as District Utopia, which is the northernmost district not taken over by titans. On the other side is Wall Rose interior."

I don't respond.

"Step one foot outside District Utopia or say one word about me being alive or anything you know will cause problems for me, and I'll make sure you'll regret it. I need not say the consequences. Got it?"

"Go to hell."

_**Link's Point of View** _

_**one or two years ago** _

_What the heck is this?_

Man, this temple is constantly surprising me.

After killing a couple of those annoying tektites, I had went through a door to find a small island, surrounded by an endless ocean, with another door on the opposite side of where I'm standing. I can barely see it from here, but I'm pretty sure there's a lock on it.

_Let's get whatever the hell this strange puzzle is over with. Actually, I just want to get this entire stupid water temple over with._

I tread across the ankle-high water, my shadow looming out a good ways behind me. I step onto the extremely small island, observe it for a moment, and keep trodding to the exit. I instantly notice my shadow's gone. When I reach the exit, with the lock keeping me from entering, I turn around to see something strange.

On the small island in the middle of this odd "room," my - my shadow is standing there. Literally. It's staring straight at me, I think. Wearily, I lurch towards it, when it suddenly strikes me, sending me backwards into the water. It leaps forward but I halt it with my Master Sword, pushing against its - its _dark Master Sword._ The glowing, upside-down triforce symbol on its right hand distracts me, with a jab to my waist snapping me back to reality. _The hell was that? Dark triforce?_

We fight, the shadowy figure always predicting my movements, and using nearly the same types of attacks as me. When I try to strike its head, it tries to strike _my_ head. When I step backwards, it steps forwards, and vice versa. I take my bow out to see if it has a bow, but it doesn't pull out anything. I take aim at its dark body and let the arrow fly, only to be stopped by its sword. It literally just hit the arrow out of midair. I repeat, with the shadow backflipping away from the arrow or dodging it in some other way, but still sometimes slicing it with the Dark Master Sword. _That's a pretty good name._

Before I know it, I'm out of arrows, and I don't have any of that strange stuff used for Din's Fire and all of that - "magic," I've heard people call it? I don't know.

The shadow - _Shadow Link, I'll call it -_ becomes more aggressive, both predicting my every movement but also using every chance to land a strike. Eventually, I'm playing 100% defense, barely stopping its attacks, until Shadow Link finally hits me in the arm. In that moment, with my aching right arm, I grab the shadowy figure and hurl it into the water and drive my sword into its back, not wanting to get beaten up by this copycat any longer. _Finally, that's over with._

I direct my attention back to the exit of this place, which no longer has a lock on it. I tread over to the door and open it, continuing this forsaken temple.

_Well, that was definitely something._

**. . .**

_**present day** _

_The hell is that thing?_ I think, still half-asleep. There's this figure off in the distance, barely visible above the tall grass and from the small window of this shack. Before I hop off of the bed I notice my triforce of courage on my left hand resonating, which, at first, I think is nothing. It's done that a few times randomly, but not in a while. _Probably nothing._

I equip myself for a temporary trip and head on out into the wasteland - heh, calling it that kinda makes it seem cool. I peek just to the right of me to see the figure still looming over me, like a shadow. It looks like it's just as tall as me. Preparing for the worst-case scenario, I unsheathe my sword and lurch towards the - the _thing._ I'm not looking down at it, but I'm sensing my triforce of courage is resonating even stronger, making me question inside my mind where this thing comes from. Then, when I get close enough to it, it hits me:

_Water Temple._

_This is the thing from the Water Temple back in Hyrule, with the dark-triforce thingy on its right hand. But it's the same height as me. What did I call it? I forgot._

I'm about a few meters away from it, and after halting, observing it, and continuing forwards a few times, it eventually _grabs a bow out of some kind of pouch and aims it towards me._

It doesn't shoot, but it _does_ surprise the hell out of me, causing me to sheathe my sword and aim an arrow towards it.

"Aren't you from the Water Temple?" I ask it, not expecting much of an answer. Sure enough, its response - which probably isn't even a response - is just continuing to stand there and aim an arrow at me. "I take it you see me as some kind of enemy."

"Well, I can assure you I don't really feel like causing trouble with anything, especially with things back in Hyrule. You don't, by any chance, know how to get _back to Hyrule,_ right?"

"Didn't think so."

I cut the monologue and eventually stop trying to appear threatening altogether to see if I can solve this problem a different way. I put my bow away, and even lay my sword sheathe on the ground and cautiously walk towards the shadow version of me.

Down to every single little detail, this thing is _exactly like me._ By the looks of it, a shadow version of the gilded sword is in its sheathe, and a "shadow-bow" is wrapped around its torso, kind of like what I do sometimes. The only difference is it is entirely dark, like a shadow. Its eyes are the darkest, instantly noticeable upon inspecting this thing's face. _Ooh, I remember that. That's the "dark-triforce"._ Upon its right hand is the triforce symbol, dark and glowing - or resonating, just like my triforce. It's also upside-down. _Hm. Neat._

Once I enter a one meter radius shadow me - _I'll call this thing Shadow Link -_ steps backwards, still ready to shoot an arrow through my body. I move even closer, and it moves backwards some more, until eventually it backs into a tree atop a hill. Just a little down to the right of me, I can see the shack I was staying in, and the surrounding wasteland. Though, no abandoned cities are in sight from where I'm standing.

I turn back towards Shadow Link and he's closer to me, and that surprises me, almost sending me down the hill. Then, the figure decides it'd be cool to kick me down the hill, and it does just that, and I tumble towards the rusty shack, right by the window. Epona looks at me questioningly.

Shadow Link sprints towards the shack and enters it, and I follow him, still trying to not appear threatening. "I take it you're not apologizing for sending me tumbling down a quite large hill, but can you at least respect my personal temporary property?" He slams the door in my face.

"Fine, have it your way, you baby."

I start to worry he's going to steal my items and/or Epona, so I attempt to open the door, but it won't budge. I peek through the window to see all of my stuff still there, along with Epona, and head back to the door. It busts open all of the sudden, with Shadow Link on a shadowy-horse, and he rides off into the wasteland.

Didn't even cause a problem. Just went into my place, took a look around, and got a shadow version of Epona. No violence involved.

_Hm. Well, that was definitely something._

I brush it off as one of the many strange things that happen during my travels, not knowing he will one day cause some of the biggest problems for me and wreak havoc on my life in nearly every way possible.


	11. Odyssey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one book you read in college.

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

_Last time this happened, I easily caught up with the Female Titan and rescued Eren, with help from Levi. This time, however… is different._

_I have no idea what I'm going to do. I don't know where Eren is, nor Annie. I don't know how I'm going to find them._

_But I'm still going to, no matter the cost._

"I've made my choice, Armin. I'm going to find Eren, and end this," I had told him before venturing off to find Annie.

I'm sitting in a carriage, along with a few other people, arriving at the somber town of Merchant's Heaven - this city is infamous for robberies and murders, but is famous for large trade deals and successful businesses, or so I've heard. The driver parks us just by the tall, dark gate, one of the few entrances to Merchant's Heaven - MH, for short.

No ODM gear. No knives, or any blades for that matter. Nobody to watch my back. Just 15-year old me, with only my wit and quick thinking to protect myself.

Though, when I enter through the gate, the thought of _I'll be fine_ instantly escapes from my mind.

Literally every single person I see is carrying some sort of pistol on their side, a knife in one of their hands, or a full-blown rifle, ready to kill anyone. Along with that unsettling observation, I also notice not only the gates seem gloomy - everything about this town is somber, dull, and just solemn. The dark concrete-like material on the ground covers any and all grass, and the buildings, even if they are a regular color like brick red or painted a color like green, they're just… dull. Even though I've been in this town just a few minutes, vibrant colors seem like a distant memory.

Then, I get over it and start to search around for a _safe_ place to stay. I check my pockets only to remind myself I don't have enough money to rent a room somewhere, let alone a _safe_ room.

Traversing the city, I maintain a low profile and scan the premises every couple minutes to ensure I'm not being followed. To both my relief and my surprise, after twenty minutes of showing myself with no weapon, nobody seems to care I'm here. I may not _be_ defenseless, but I _seem_ defenseless. I almost lower my guard when I hear the sound of a gunshot, resonating the streets - after searching my surroundings I see a man lying on the ground after being shot. It doesn't even phase anybody here.

 _Somebody could kill me and nobody would care to help,_ I realize.

The fact that I just saw a man die isn't what gets to me; it's the fact that he was shot out of nowhere with nobody around him to help or chase the man who killed him. My heart starts racing and I start rapidly sweating - _it's just a panic attack,_ I think to myself, though I'm unable to stop it. I stumble over to a bench and take a breath and calm myself down.

_Why am I being like this? I've been through much worse._

Just as I'm getting calm, someone taps on my shoulder, causing me to jump out of my seat and clench my fists. I'm filled with instant relief when I realize who it is. _Reiner._

"Reiner? Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Just... passing through, I guess…"

"...what are _you_ doing here?" he questions in response as we both sit down on the bench.

"I'm doing the same. A lot has happened over the past few days regarding the Female Titan, and I'm still trying to sort it out. Just happened to pass through here while doing so."

"Ah. Bertholdt, Ymir, Christa, and I were heading to the Scout HQ and we made the wrong decision to stay here. We can't find Ymir _or_ Christa, which isn't a good sign in this city."

"Where's Bert?"

"We rented a place to stay - he's there. You wanna stay there, too?"

"Yes! Yes, thank you."

"Alright. Now, tell me about what's happened."

I then describe all of the events ever since Stohess, starting with our initial plan to capture Annie, which we were all convinced that semi-worked because she was trapped in that crystal-thing, but we weren't able to get any information out of her. I also tell about Annie's strange powers and how she used it to "transport" Eren somewhere, and in the process, I realize she probably did something to Levi. _That's why he was acting so strange before Annie attacked Ehrmich.._

"Mikasa!"

"What?"

"You zoned out."

"Oh, sorry. I'll continue."

After a few more minutes of conversation he eventually says, "Alright, I guess we should get going. One more question - have you heard from Erwin or any other Scout leader?"

"No, I haven't seen any of them since Annie attacked Stohess, except for Levi right before Annie attacked Ehrmich, and he seemed disoriented then."

"Gotchya."

He leads me to a tall building, towering above the other buildings, but still fitting in with the rest of the town due to its dullness. I haven't actually been inside a building my entire time in MH, but to my surprise the inside of the hotel is actually pretty nice. Decorations, colorful paintings, all of that stuff - _can't judge a book by its cover, I guess._

"This place seems nice. How much did it cost to rent?"

"We got this room for free. I know a few guys from this town that I knew would be able to hook me up with a place to stay."

We walk up a flight of stairs to the second story of the hotel, down a hall until I see Bertholdt at the opposite side of the hallway. Reiner looks confused for a split second before he says, "Where are you going?"

" _Out._ "

"Alrighty then… Well, Mikasa's going to stay at our place until _you_ get back, ok?"

Bertholdt nods his head and paces past us, like he's late for something. I notice the door to the room is slightly open, like he was leaving it for someone to get in.

"Alright. The maximum keys you can get for one room is two - so I'm giving you this if you need to go out somewhere. I'm going with Bertholdt. If someone knocks, _please don't answer it,_ " he says with a large emphasis on that last remark. "Will do. Thanks."

I enter the room, with Reiner already out of my sight. I can only hear the sound of my own breath, and the wooden floor I'm walking on creaking with every step I take. The place is semi-messy, with jackets and Scout Regiment uniforms lying about, and even a couple of pistols. After locking the door I search around for any kind of food, as I haven't eaten since before Annie attacked Ehrmich - "the dinner incident," Armin was calling it - and even then, I had only eaten an appetizer. The wooden cabinets dominating the west side of the room draws my attention, only to hold nothing but papers with a _lot_ written on it and clothes. _I don't think this is where clothes go._ I skim over one of the papers, and read, "Lex: omni-gear is in the FR alley, but do not take it until later" with no name of who it's from.

_Probably Reiner paying the guy who owns this hotel in ODM gear for a long time to stay in this room._

The north side of the room has a giant window, and even though it's only on the second story I can still see ways across the town, with only taller buildings blocking my view. A couch in the shape of an "L" branches out from the northeastern corner, and I lay down on that couch and decide to take a nap, and wait until Reiner gets back. _I think I might just stay with these guys for a bit, at least if they'll help look for Eren._

" _Mikasa_."

_Wha - ?_

I jump up from the couch and turn around to see _her,_ glaring at me from across the room. She has ODM gear on with her blades in her hands, and, with my eyes locked onto her, I grab a pistol conveniently lying down on a tray near the couch and aim it at her.

"Hello, Mikasa," Annie insouciantly greets me, not making eye contact.

"You just can't stay away from me or Eren, can you?" I ask her, almost trembling.

She directs her glare to the window, gazing off into the distance, eventually placing her blades back into her blade-carrier. I clutch the handle of the pistol with my shaking hands, and, knowing what this girl is now capable of, I go ahead and place my finger on the trigger. Instead of surprise-attacking me, the Female Titan nonchalantly saunters towards the giant window, holding her gaze towards the town of Merchant's Heaven.

"Remember that time we were in training, and you would always tell me to stay away from Eren?"

I don't respond.

"Well, _I_ do, and I never listened to you. Waking up at the crack of dawn, just to teach that boy how to fight… It never got old. Those were my highlights of training in its entirety."

She continues. "Eren liked it. Even if I woke him up at three o'clock, he would never hesitate to hop out of bed and let me train him. Even so, with him being happy and all, you absolutely despised me just for spending a little time with him. I never questioned why…"

"...I just accepted it. I just accepted the fact that you hated me, and though I never really hated you back, I would never hesitate to _hit_ you back when we got in those kiddy fights."

_Where is she going with this?_

_Agh, doesn't matter,_ I think, realizing she's probably off her guard and pull the trigger.

In a split second, she gyrates around and _stops the bullet with her hand, the bullet emitting a green glow, floating in midair._

"And how I felt about you in training hasn't changed. I still don't hate you," she continues, still holding the bullet in midair.

"And I'm still going to hit back."

She thrusts both of her hands forward, causing the bullet to travel in the opposite direction and strike me in my left shoulder. Ignoring the pain, I shoot multiple more times at Annie, who's jumping about and around the room, stopping the bullets with her - her _power,_ and also dodging some of them, but she's not directing them back at me. In less than a minute, I'm already out of ammunition, and when Annie realizes that she directs a hateful smirk at me and then turns her head towards the door, followed by me doing the same. It's Reiner, opening the door.

"Reiner!" For a moment, him being here gives me a false sense of relief, then remembering he can't take her on takes that relief away. Instead of charging at her or using the rifle he has on his back to fight Annie, he just stands there, appearing stunned out of his mind.

"Mikasa," he finally says.

"Get out," Reiner continues.

"What?"

"GET OUT!" he screams at me, pointing his rifle at me. "Reiner?"

Holding the place on my shoulder where Annie shot me, I slowly back up towards the window, past Annie, with Reiner still threatening me with his rifle.

"Reiner, why -"

He fires the rifle, though missing me, but sending me into shock. Before he fires me a second time, I sprint towards the window in the back of the room and leap towards it, shattering the entire thing. I descend from the second floor of that building to the ground, and upon landing arms first, I sprain one (or both) of my wrists. And then I run. I run without knowing where I'm going, and I run until I can't run anymore.

_No, no, no, no no no no no. This isn't happening._

My wound on my shoulder worsens while I continue running. Luckily, the bullet didn't affect me _too_ much, because it only struck the edge of my shoulder and I'm pretty sure it didn't leave behind any bullet fragments. Still, I need to get it patched up, but where...

Just a few minutes ago I stumbled upon an eerie, abandoned building a good ways away from Reiner's place. It's one-story, and isn't _that_ big, but it's enough for me to take shelter in. Although it's around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the lack of windows makes the place extremely dark.

My wound on my shoulder is covered with gauze I got from somebody, allowing it to heal, and, after spotting the key to the building, I start to think that I could stay in this place for a bit. Devise a plan to save Eren before Annie leaves this city - _if she does._ She may end up targeting me. And, with her abilities, I don't know if I'll stand a chance. I've beaten her twice, though, so one way or another I'm going to do it again.

**. . .**

I've been trailing Reiner for about an hour now. He hasn't done anything suspicious.

_Is he looking for me?_

I then realize he's headed in the direction of the place I'm staying, so I decide to kidnap him _there_ and maybe then I'll get some answers. I've never done anything like this, and doing this feels kind of weird, but the thought that this is to save Eren makes me feel better about it.

Every few minutes Reiner pauses, scans his surroundings for a brief moment, and continues walking. He almost spots me a few times and even tries to investigate whether or not someone's following him; I successfully hide every time he does that, though. As the sun sets, Reiner get closer and closer to my hideout, and eventually, when he's on the same block as the building, I start rapidly approaching him from behind, not saying anything until he's right next to the door. He has a pistol near his back pocket, so, without thinking, I grab it and place it on his head when we're right in front of the door to the hideout. _Perfect._

"Reiner. Listen to me and I won't kill you." At first, he seems surprised, but after a few seconds he sighs and raises his hands in the air.

"Open the door to the building to the right of you and enter it." He complies, and reluctantly opens the door. There's some rope I had found sitting by the door inside the hideout that I was going to use on Reiner. Tying him up is easier than expected; Reiner doesn't try to escape or anything, which becomes worrying because it may mean he knows he'll be able to get out of this.

I begin the interrogation.

"Reiner, let's keep this short and to the point. Why did you aim that gun at me and force me out of your hotel when Annie was there?"

He glares at me threateningly. No response, though.

"Are you taking sides with Annie?"

After asking a few more questions all of which Reiner fails to respond, I give up and eventually say, "Well, if you don't want to work with me I'm just going to leave you here. I'm still giving you the benefit of the doubt because I don't know what's exactly going on, but I'm not going to let you go until you prove you aren't working with Annie."

_He may be affected by Annie's… powers. I've known him for quite a while, and he's been friends with Eren for quite a while too, so I'm not going to assume he's sincerely helping Annie with whatever insane thing she's doing._

After making sure it's practically impossible for Reiner to escape and/or kill me in my sleep, I lie down and try to fall asleep on the cold, hard ground inside an abandoned building in the somber, dull city of Merchant's Heaven. My last thought before dozing off into my dreams is Eren, and imagining seeing him after all of this nonsense is over, reminding me of why I'm going such great lengths to save him.

**. . .**

_Reiner hasn't escaped. Whew._

_And I'm starving. Maybe I'll bring Reiner back some food. But I'd have to point a gun at him while he eats._

As it seems, MH isn't the type of city with top-tier restaurants and such. And at the same time, it isn't the type of city with little huts where people sell food they grew on a farm or meat they probably hunted for a day or two ago. I'm more used to the latter. Anyways, I eventually stumble upon a decent "foodplace," as it states on the door for some reason. Its layout is similar to that of a regular medium-tier restaurant; surprisingly enough, it's not crowded _at all_ , even though it's one of the only "foodplaces" in MH.

The majority of the customers are sitting on the far right, all wearing blue shirts with the initials "FR" on their shoulders. One of them notices me staring and I immediately direct my gaze in the opposite direction, avoiding any possible conflict. But when I'm handed a tray with my breakfast and sit down at a table across the restaurant from these "FR" people, I notice _them_ staring at _me._ Now, at this point, it's just me, them, and the employees who I've been noticing are as far away from them as possible.

_Oh, what the heck is wrong with me? Why am I so paranoid?_

I reassure myself they're not suspicious of me or anything until I observe them for a brief moment to see more than half of them looking in my direction. _The hell?_ They notice my gaze directed at them and stop staring, but I eventually catch them all doing it again. Then, finally, one of them rises from their seat and paces towards me. The man is the same height as me, has jet black hair, and a menacing face. He plants his hands on the table and looks straight into my eyes.

"Yes?" I ask him, looking straight into his eyes, debating whether or not he's about to deeply interrogate me, attempt to kill me, or just talk to me about something.

"What are you doing in this city?" he abruptly questions.

"Why do you need to know?"

"Just answer my question."

"I'm looking for a friend. That's all I'm telling you, sir," I firmly respond.

"Ma'am, I need you to come with me immediately. I'm not going to hurt you." He almost grabs my arm before I jerk out of my seat and back away, taking a defensive position.

"What do you want with me?"

"Calm down, okay? You're Mikasa Ackerman, right? I just need to ask you some questions."

" _How do you know my name?_ " I loudly ask, backing further and further away until I'm cornered. He closes in on my position and raises his hands out in front of him in a "calm down" type of way, like he's trying to control a wild animal.

Feeling threatened by this man, I kick him in his ankle and bash his head against the nearest table and begin sprinting towards the exit, and, assuming he's chasing me, I knock over chairs and tables to hinder the man. The other blue-shirts begin pursuing me, as well, but they don't fire any guns at me. I exit the restaurant and make my way down the streets towards my hideout, but they're all closely tailing me so I turn right at the intersection I would usually turn left on to get to my hideout.

My mind processing my surroundings at lightning speed, I decide hitching a ride on one of the many carriages roaming the streets of MH would make good cover, but first I have to escape those FR people's lines of sight. After turning around multiple corners and finding another dense street I open the curtain on the back of a carriage, greeted by the barrel of a rifle pointed at my head.

I make sure he's not one of those blue-shirts and then plead, "Please let me ride in your carriage, I'm not trying to rob you or anything." He calms down and allows me in his carriage, and I lie down to rest from all of the running I've just done. After taking a breather I sit up and face the man, filled with relief that I've escaped those people.

"Sorry for almost killing you, but I've been dealing with some bad people lately," the man claims. He's the only other person in this medium-sized carriage, and looks about 40 years old, no hair. "No problem," I respond.

I catch my breath and repeatedly take a look outside the carriage to make sure I'm still not being followed. The man notices I'm doing this and eventually asks, "Who is it that's chasing you?"

"Ahh.. I don't really know. They're wearing blue shirts with 'FR' on their shoulders."

"Wait - FR?" the man questions, startled.

"Yes, why? Do you know them?"

"Y-yes, they're the people I'm dealing with. Why are they chasing you?"

"I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to find out. But I need to stay in this city for certain reasons, so I can already tell they're going to be a big problem."

"I happen to have the same problem, miss. They're targeting me because they think I'm a threat to their organization, but I can't leave this city for business reasons. They usually only target threats, and obviously if they want to capture you or kill you they deem you a threat. So why do you think, young lady, that you're a threat to their fraternity?"

"Fraternity?"

"Guild is a better word. They're called Fraternity Rose."

"Oh… I don't know why I'd be a threat. I was just passing through this city, looking for one of my friends."

"Could it be they don't want you to find this 'friend' that you're searching for?"

"...maybe."

**. . .**

"So, Reiner, are you ever going to speak?"

"Well, that's too bad, because I'm afraid I'm not going to let you go until you say something useful."

"I got chased by some people from 'Fraternity Rose'... Do you happen to know anything about _that?_ "

He's been looking down at the floor the entire time, but after finishing that last sentence he turns his head upwards and directs his gaze straight at me.

"You're beginning to play a very dangerous game, Mikasa," he tells me.

"I know I am. I started playing the game when I promised I'd always protect Eren to his dead mother. It's just that now, the game's getting a little more interesting. Sit tight, alright? I'll be right back."

_I need to find ODM gear._

I remember skimming over a note that said something about ODM gear in Reiner's hotel, so I guess I'll go look there. I make sure I have Reiner's pistol and scan the surrounding area for any "blue-shirts" and begin heading back to where this entire odyssey started. While making my way in the general direction of his hotel, I maintain a low, defensive position, taking alternate routes with less people as much as possible. I wasn't paying attention when I was sprinting away from the hotel, so I'm not entirely sure where to go, so this is probably going to take a bit longer.

Just as I'm starting to be convinced the blue-shirts aren't coming after me, one of them taps on my shoulder to prove me wrong. I swiftly turn towards him and punch him square in the face, instantly running in the opposite direction. After some time I eventually find myself in an alleyway that's blocked off by a giant fence on the other side, and take out my pistol to ready myself from these people. Sure enough, the one I punched turns into the alley, followed by a bullet striking him in his ankle. _Gotchya._ I pass by him and continue sprinting, not spotting any more blue-shirts on the way.

Finally, Reiner's hotel comes into my view. I resume holding my low, defensive position as I stare straight into the still-broken window Reiner forced me to jump out of. _My wrist still kinda hurts from that._ I carefully traipse down the hallway after slowly opening the door. I repeat exactly what Reiner did when he was guiding me to his hotel, and I make my way down the hallway on the second floor, still holding my low position. As expected, the door to their room is locked.

I knock in a casual way as my heart beats at the speed of sound.

Footsteps from the opposite side of their room start sounding, and eventually become louder until whoever's in there is right in front of the door. I step to the side so they won't see anybody when looking through the peephole.

"Hello?" somebody, most likely Bertholdt, calls out. The door reluctantly opens and just as Bert is stepping out of the room I grab his arm and thrust his tall body to the other side of the hallway and sprint into the room, locking the door in the process.

"MIKASA! MIKASA!" Bertholdt calls out while I search the room for anything useful.

I stumble upon the cabinet full of notes and find the exact note that states, "Lex: omni-gear is in the FR alley, but do not take it until later."

 _FR Alley?_ So these guys know the blue-shirts?

_And who the hell is Lex? Whatever._

I shuffle through the other notes as Bertholdt rapidly beats on the door, which eventually stops.

I come across another peculiar note.

"Mr. Riverwell: Lyssa is in District Yarckel to escape the Arrowhearts, should we launch an attack there, or Zingi? -Reiner"

_Zingi? That's where Armin and the others are!_

I go ahead and take those two notes along with other important-looking documents and continue my search for ODM gear possibly hiding somewhere in Reiner's hotel room. _There's a door to the top left hand corner of the room,_ I think. _Didn't notice that before._ ODM gear lying down on a giant table is my first sight upon opening the door, filling me with joy as I strap it on. I don't bother to search for anything else any longer and leap out of the broken window, pulling both of the triggers on my ODM gear, hooking the top of the nearest building, and flying through the city with ease until I land on the top of my hideout.

 _That was much easier than I thought it would be,_ I think, before the ground below me collapses, sending me into the building. I land right beside Reiner, still tied up, who looks at me questioningly.

_Man, this place is in bad condition._

"Do you happen to know who Mr. Riverwell is, Reiner?" I ask a few minutes after crashing down into my hideout. _I don't even know why I'm still bothering to ask him questions,_ I think.

But then he says something.

"Maxus, his name is Maxus Riverwell."

**. . .**

"So, you're basically saying he's the leader of Fraternity Rose, Mr. Abert?"

Walden Abert is the man who helped me escape from the blue-shirts earlier. I spotted his carriage a few blocks from my hideout and decided to talk with him about all of the information I've gotten.

"Yes, and you must never speak his name in public. May I see the documents you retrieved from that man's hotel room?"

"Yes, yes, here you go," I reply, handing him everything I found in that cabinet. Most of the papers were just blank, which kind of sucks, but I still have those other notes I found.

"Lex… I know this name. Lex Arrowheart, a prominent member of FR. Looks like someone was supplying him that gear you're wearing. Tell me, Mrs. Ackerman, is all of this information you're getting about this guild really new to you?"

"Yes."

"Then your life is never going to be the same knowing this information."

He continue speaking. "You will constantly be on the run from these - these 'titan-lovers,' as I call them. Everybody you know and love will be in danger forever. They will do _anything_ to eliminate even people who have merely heard of the name 'Maxus,' and you know more than most people already. Mikasa Ackerman, I would like to let you know you are welcome to my guild any time - we're called 'Z-Guild,' and we reside in the town of Zingi. According to one of these notes FR may end up attacking Zingi, and while our base will most likely not be damaged, we will still be in grave danger from FR. I would like to make a request…"

"...if and when you find your friend, meet me with him in Zingi, will you?"

"Will do."

**. . .**

"Mikasa."

_Bertholdt._

I swing around to see him a meter away amidst the crowd of people on the sidewalk.

"I think it's long past time we had a talk, don't you agree?"

"Bertholdt, if you're here to ask where Reiner is, I'm not telling you."

"But you will."

"And why, exactly, is that?"

"Because I know where Eren is."

_So he's siding with Annie as well._

"Follow me." He begins pacing in the opposite direction, and I reluctantly decide to follow him. He leads me a few blocks down and enters a restaurant, a crowded one at that. I enter behind him to see him seated at a table with Annie. Shocked, I stumble backwards and almost trip, and place my hand where my pistol would usually be, but it's not there. They're both looking at me like they're expecting me to do something; this being a crowded place, I decide to not cause havoc and sit down at the table.

"Tell me where Eren is," I firmly command Annie.

"Right down to business, huh? Well, lucky for you, I'm willing to compromise. Mikasa, you've proved that you are a significant problem to me, especially where your beloved Eren is involved. I'll promise I won't kill Eren and you will see him again if you give us back Reiner and shut up about this whole thing, alright?"

I don't even consider her deal and say, "Can't do that, Annie," taking Annie aback.

_She's using Eren as a way to stop me from doing harm to them. But they need Eren for something, so they won't kill him either way._

"So what _are_ you going to do, Mikasa? You _do_ realize I can kill Eren any time?"

"No. You need him for something, that's why you've kept trying to kidnap him. Remember what happened in the forest that one time? Yeah."

"You're wrong. Eren's an expendable pawn, and even if he _doesn't_ die he won't have anything to live for once this is over."

Forgetting I'm in a public place, I clutch one of the steak knives on the table and dig it down into her hand, followed by Annie screaming in agony. Bertholdt reaches over the table in attempt to stop me from causing any more harm, but I stab his arm and begin rocketing out of the restaurant. The sound of a lightning strike resonates the entire city and the restaurant collapses on itself, and the Female Titan begins to pursue me.

_Round four._

I click my ODM triggers and begin swerving around buildings in attempt to escape. I don't know whether or not Annie can use her "green powers" in titan form, but I'm not sure I want to find out. Even though I'm constantly hooking buildings and flying through the air as fast as I can go, Annie still manages to retain her position of dangerously close; she also runs her arms through buildings as she runs along, causing major destruction just because she can. She's persistently hurling chunks of stone from the sides of buildings at me, but she misses every single time - at one point, I even use one of them, while in midair, as a target for my ODM gear. I land on it and turn towards Annie as she reaches her hand out, and leap into the air just before the giant chunk of stone, along with Annie, crashes into the side of a building.

 _That just bought me some time,_ I think, soaring through the air. I land onto a roof and gaze downwards at all of the people scared out of their minds - _this is District Ehrmich and Stohess all over again, except I'm the only one able to do anything about it._ No titan Eren on my side to even things out, and no little kid wearing a green tunic to try to take her on. I catch a sight of what's behind me, and Annie is not on that list, so I go ahead and crash into the window of a three-story building in attempt to hide. I tumble across the wooden floor of the room and ram into the wall.

As soon as I get back on my feet, I turn towards the window and see Annie, with ODM gear, heading straight at me. I shift to the side and she crashes into the wooden wall headfirst, followed by kicking her in her head as hard as I possibly can. She raises her green-glowing hand and I go flying in the opposite direction, striking the ground headfirst. I instantly rise and charge at her, and to my surprise she attempts to stop me using her powers but _fails,_ allowing me to land a punch on her stomach. Taking advantage of her current state I place my hand on her small forehead and ram it into the wall with all of my might. _And to think I actually thought she might be invincible._

As expected, she stumbles back on her feet and continues fighting, but doesn't use her "green powers" - she _does_ harden her skin with the crystal and lands a couple nasty punches in my stomach. I convince myself I have a chance of beating her and fight in an "all or nothing" style - either she will kill me, or I will kill her. I'm working as hard as I can to make it the latter.

Annie successfully lands a kick, sending me to the ground, and instantly takes some kind of syringe out of her pocket. I roll over and trip her with my foot, grabbing the syringe out of her hand in the process; I attempt to stab her with it, only to be stopped by her skin hardening where I tried to inject her at the last second. The syringe breaks, and Annie yells out, "NO!"

"Not so powerful without your precious powers, are you?"

"I'M GONNA KILL HIM! DAMMIT, MIKASA, WE COULD HAVE MADE A DEAL! GRAAAAHHH!" she shrieks, charging at me with all of her tiny body's might. She tries to land a punch on my face with her crystallized fist, and when I try to block it I end up breaking my wrist.

"AHG, SHIT!" I yell out. It feels like my hand was just ripped off.

Annie leans in closer to me as I hold my broken wrist in agony.

" _But before I do that, I'm going to visit your friends in Zingi. Is that okay?"_

Annie furiously sprints to the other side of the room and jumps out of the window.

_How did I let a broken wrist decide who would win this fight?_

I lie my aching body down on the floor in defeat.

"I can't let her kill Eren," I say under my breath.

"MIKASA!" a familiar voice yells from a different room. The door bursts open and I see Ymir, scared out of her mind.

"Mikasa!"

"Ymir… what are you doing here?"

"I knew you couldn't take on Annie, and I got here just in time. Can you stand up?"

"Yeah…?"

"Good. We have to go _right now._ "

"What?"

"Mikasa, I know where Eren is. He's in the same place Krista is - District Utopia. Come on, get up!"

I reluctantly raise myself up and begin to follow Ymir as the homicidal Female Titan heads straight for Zingi.

_**Link's Point of View** _

A few hours have passed since that strange encounter I had with a shadow version of myself.

Four days have passed since I was placed in this universe for whatever reason.

Two days have passed since I was beaten by somebody with very strange powers, magical powers strong enough to break my shield despite the sole purpose of my shield being to _stop_ such powers.

I look into my bag of masks and spot my Fierce Deity Mask, and reassure myself that Titan Girl won't beat me again.

I hop onto Epona, my mind set on finding that girl who's causing trouble and stopping it, because I know she's just going to wreak havoc on the people of this land. I've decided that before I try to find my way home, I'm going to help these people.

Because it's what I do.

So I travel throughout the wasteland, not allowing any titans to get in my way, nor bothering to stop and check out an abandoned town out. The bright, yellow sun shining overhead, the clear, vigorous, blue sky surrounding it, the tall, green, and lush grass Epona's running through, and the structures off in the distance in all directions make me feel like I'm going on yet another long adventure, the same feeling I had when I was running through Hyrule Field for the first time, as well as trekking Termina Field for the first time.

Imagining myself travelling to Hyrule Castle dominates my thoughts until something strikes me on my left side, sending me off Epona and onto the ground.

"What the hell?" I say before realizing what's going on.

"Oh. It's _you_ ," I say in an annoyed tone to Shadow Link, standing in front of me.

He's holding a rock in his left hand in a throwing position, a big one at that; the one he hit me with must've been of similar size. "Shadow Epona" isn't with him, nor do I see his bow anywhere.

"Do you mind not using me for target practice?" I hopefully ask him. He drops the rock but retains his defensive position, and begins to observe me. I slowly, but surely rise, avoiding any sudden movements that may startle the shadow. A few seconds after I get back on my feet he abruptly unsheathes his sword and tries to jab me in the stomach, barely dodging his blade as I shift to the side.

"Alright, let's not get too carried away. I've been giving you the benefit of the doubt but if you start attacking me I'm gonna retaliate."

He successfully strikes me on my shoulder due to my lack of a shield, and I then unsheathe my Gilded Sword and begin fighting.

His movements, unlike that of Shadow Link in the Water Temple, are completely independant; he sticks to the basic moves, though. I'm easily able to predict his movements and counter him, but he doesn't really seem that affected when I strike him. After a minute, I start to notice a pattern - every time I use a move he hasn't seen before, he uses it not too long later. He's already learned to shift to the side to dodge, roll under attacks, and counter. Finally, he lands another strike on my arm, and I realize he's becoming smarter and smarter by the minute.

_Nope. Nope, nope nope. I'm not gonna teach him anything else._

I sheathe my sword and hop onto Epona, riding away from Shadow Link. He doesn't pursue me.

_Now that that's over with, I can go fight Titan Girl._

_Still, is this guy gonna become a problem?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you actively read this story on this site, I'd suggest you use Fanfiction.net because I upload chapters there first, as that's where I get the most views & reviews.


	12. Saviour of the City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deity vs. Titan.

_**Sasha's Point of View** _

_Yesterday, I made a vow that I would drive an arrow through a certain person's heart._

_Surprisingly enough, that person's last name is Arrowheart. Jessica Arrowheart._

_I've never said something so violent like that, or anything violent of that nature._

_But kidnapping me and my friends and even torturing one of them?_

_You have crossed the line._

Jessica, after I stole her bow and escaped along with Armin, had decided to relocate Connie. What they want with him, I don't know, but every time I even come within 5 meters of the wagon he's in some people with dark blue uniforms labelled "FR" escort me away. I don't bother to retaliate when they do that; instead, I'm devising a much larger plan to find Connie and get the hell out of this town.

"Armin, you okay, buddy?" I optimistically ask. He's still shaken from what happened yesterday, and honestly, I don't blame him. He's lying down on a bench in an alleyway, and I'm sitting beside him; I'm taking this time to let him heal and stay with him rather than go out and recklessly fight someone, leaving him behind. Nope. He _is_ healing faster than Connie, though.

"I've been better," Armin softly replies.

"Are you well enough to stand up and help me find some money so we can go eat breakfast?"

He weakly chuckles in response, and then dozes off back to sleep a few minutes later.

Looking down on his face, thinking about how he'd never harm anybody and has always been a peaceful person makes me wonder why someone would do this to him. It adds to the flame burning in my mind, and the fact that they could be doing anything to Connie terrifies me - _I have to get him back, and I have to do it today._ I'm not sure where he's headed but I know the purpose of relocating him is to hide him from me.

_It's 'cuz they know I'm gonna come after them. Running ain't going to do anything, idiots. Heh…_

**. . .**

"Sasha, you have to think broader. Okay - we find Connie and get him back, then what?"

"We get out of here!"

"And go where?"

"Yarckel, maybe? I don't know! All I care about is saving Connie! Stop questioning me and go back to sleep," I tell Armin, who's apparently "better in just a few hours." _Did he even get beaten that badly?_

"Can't go back to sleep. Well, while you figure that out, I'm going to find one of those food-stands so we can eat something. What do you want?"

I rise my head and look at him questioningly.

"Anything."

Currently, we're still in an alleyway, just not the same one. I've been drawing on the map that dude gave me, which surprisingly wasn't confiscated by Jessica when we were "hospitalized," as Armin seems to be calling it; speaking of that hospitalized situation, escaping that place was pretty freaking difficult. It's not that people kept trying to shoot at us or anything, it's just that I had no idea where to go. Not to mention Armin, who couldn't even move.

Long story short, Jessica left us unattended and fortunately we were in all the right places at all the right times, and we ended up finding a back exit without stirring up trouble, but it still took quite a while. I think they may know who I am, especially after trying to see Connie in that carriage a few times, so hopefully they don't decide I'm a higher priority than him and come after _me._

I don't even know why they're so hell-bent on keeping Connie. My only guess is that Alex's dad brought him there thinking it was a regular hospital, when, in fact, it was a top-secret base for evil Arrowheart plans. Well, actually, I _did_ come across a big section for hospital rooms and saw some patients, but still, - _wait, that means that they forced Connie to stay for another reason._

"Sasha! Are you listening? Answer me!" Armin loudly calls out from the other end of the alley, carrying a box of fruit. _Wow. That thing's huge._

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah! What's up?"

"Well, I got this giant box of fruit, and… I kinda ran into somebody."

"What do you mean, 'ran into somebody'?"

Then, that kid Alex peeks out from behind the wall from the right. _Are you kidding me?_

"Armin, why did you -"

"Sasha! _Please_ just hear me out!" his high-pitched voice exclaims as he runs toward me. _God, this kid…_

He continues shouting, saying "I swear I'll be quick, Sasha! I just wanted to -"

" _F-fine._ Fine! What do you need, Alex?"

"It's about my dad, who took Connie to the 'hospital'."

**. . .**

After an interesting conversation with Alex, I begin to process all of the strange things he's just told me.

"Your dad's _working_ with those assholes _?_ "

"Unfortunately, yes. I didn't know it either. He wasn't aware of Connie staying at our house, and Connie heard something he wasn't supposed to, and after some things happened my dad just decided to send him to their base in that 'hospital'. I don't know if my mom knows, and while I've always wondered if he was doing something strange I never thought it would be _this..._ "

"What do you mean, 'wondered if he was doing something strange'?" I question him.

"Well… He would always be out late at night, random people would approach him and sometimes even try to _kill_ him, and sometimes he'd come home with a _lot_ of money. When I would mention it he would always quickly change the subject, as well as my mother, but it never seemed like she knew anything…"

"Could it be she was too scared to say anything?" Armin asks.

"More like too scared to find out, if you ask me," Alex responds. "But I'm not 100% sure."

"Anyways," Alex continues, "I have some ideas on how you guys can get Connie back."

"Alex, I already told you I don't want you tagging along with us."

"I know, but Sasha, hear me out, ple-"

Knowing he's about to start pleading to join our strange crusade, I yell, "Dammit, Alex! Why can't you listen? I'm not responsible for you and I'm not going to let you get killed because of me!"

He angrily rolls his eyes and argues, "I know! Geez, _I know_ , Sasha, I know you want to stay as far away from me as you can but _really,_ I feel like I owe you this. I got you into this mess and I deserve a chance to make it right."

_Damn. This kid really wants to make things right._

_Now that I think about it, I've been a bit harsh on this dude when all he wanted to do was help._

_Aaaaaaand now I kind of feel bad. Still, I don't really want him tagging along._

"I just don't want to risk your life for some mistake you made because you were trying to help us. We were the ones that put ourselves in this situation, and we plan to fix it ourselves," I firmly reply.

"I still want to help you. I know I look like a kid, but I can handle myself. _Trust me,_ " he tells me, half smiling.

I stare at him for a moment.

"Fine."

"Let's get started, shall we?" he rhetorically asks us.

**. . .**

"You guys ready?"

"I-I don't know. I'm kind of nervous…"

"Just don't think about it, just _do._ "

"What if I miss?"

Alex turns his head with a semi-annoyed look. "You're not gonna miss. That carriage's huge!"

I'm currently on top of a two-story building, and according to Alex's master plan, I'm supposed to take a leap of faith from the building into the carriage, ripping through the top of it and praying I won't break a bone. I asked Alex about whether or not that'd happen, with the ever-reassuring response of, "Hopefully not."

Armin's supposed to "make sure I don't die" in the process of raiding the carriage, and Alex is, according to him, going to "keep watch". Basically, I'm doing the dirty work.

 _Whatever,_ I think, telling myself that it's for Connie.

"Armin," I say.

"Hm?"

"You gonna make sure I don't die?"

"I guess, I mean, the way he told me to help was kinda ambiguous, but I'll try my best."

"Aren't you supposed to be down there?" I ask him, realizing he's not supposed to jump with me.

"He can jump too," Alex interrupts while looking in the opposite direction.

I stare at him questioningly.

"Do you do this kind of stuff all the time?"

"Yep."

"Hey, isn't that the carriage?" I ask aloud. It's headed this way, and I can barely see it in the distance.

"Yep."

As it nears our direction I notice the FR people guarding it from all sides, with people on horses surrounding it and a couple of FR people walking beside it. _Alex's plan is beginning to make a little more sense,_ I think, readying myself to jump.

"You ready, Armin?" I hopefully ask.

"No, I'm not, but I'm going through anyways," he replies, almost chuckling.

I half-smile.

"Attaboy."

Alex's words of wisdom in mind, Armin and I simultaneously leap off of the roof and land straight into the carriage, ripping the net-thing that acts as a ceiling for it.

I'm immediately greeted by two FR people - they take a second to process what's happening, and in that time I grab one and push him out the back. Sounds of panic from the outside, including screams and gunshots, arise and I quickly realize that I'm in a hell of a lot of danger, and after noticing a pistol in this pouch on his waist I attempt to grab it, only to be stopped by that person swiftly striking me on my stomach, sending me to the floor. Underneath the seat in front of me is Connie, with a cloth over his mouth and chains on his hands. The terrified expression on his face causes me to get back on my feet, determined to save him, and then I'm greeted by a pistol planted on my forehead.

_Dammit…_

_What do I do?_ I think, realizing I've never had a gun pointed at my face by a user intending to shoot me, when Alex's advice comes back to mind.

_Just don't think about it, just do._

I drop to the ground to dodge the bullet he's about to shoot at me, and sure enough, once I land on the floor his gun shoots, and in the few seconds he has to cock the pistol again I jump up and snatch it out of his hand, cock it, and aim it at _him._

Armin's on the other side of the giant carriage, lying on the ground and holding the spot where he was punched. When he looks up at me he instantly yells, "Don't do it!" Of course, I did not plan on killing anybody, and I still don't, so I simply tell the FR man, "Get out or get the bullet."

Raising his hands in the air, he complies, and jumps out the back of the carriage.

_Those guys are out of the way. Now to get out of here…_

"Armin, what the hell are we supposed to do now...?" I ask. He rises himself of the ground, clearly shaken by the brief action that just took place.

"A-alex said to take control of the horses. Nobody's guiding them directly, they're just going with the flow of the other horses. Close the back of the carriage, ok? I'll take care of the horses."

I zip the back "door" of the carriage, which really isn't even a door, because it's made of some kind of easily rippable net-fabric material. When I'm done, something comes to mind.

_Why has nobody else tried to pursue us? I would've thought we'd been getting shot at._

Curious, I unzip the back just a little and peek my head out and see none of the FR people around the carriage. Instead of them, there's panicky citizens riding in other carriages, wagons, horses, riding in the opposite direction (actually most of them are running), as well as general havoc on the streets. I had heard screams earlier but I didn't know it was _this…_

_What the hell is going on? What are they all running from?_

I turn around expecting Armin to know what's going on.

A horrified look on his face, Armin tells me, "It's _her._ "

"W-what? Who?"

"Annie. _She's here._ "

"Wait- _Annie?_ "

_When the hell did Annie arrive?_

"Out of all the times she could've arrived to make my life a living hell, it's in the middle of _this?_ "

My anger comes to a halt when the carriage starts shifting around, jerking me over to the opposite side, as well as Armin. I spot Connie again, only to find a gash in his head, which appears pretty serious in the split-second I see him, and, not able to check if he's still alive the carriage finally tips on its side and I go flying in the opposite direction. Everything goes to hell, especially after making out what just happened when I rise my aching head up from the carriage.

Armin's passed out. Connie might be dead. Alex is probably running in the opposite direction.

For yet another time the weight of entire lives rests on my shoulders, and, unable to stand up in this sideways carriage I crawl over to Armin, bloodied up and KO'd, and put my hand over his heart. I'm flooded with relief when I feel his heart beating. I grab his torso and attempt to stand up again, but the combination of my strained legs and a weird-angled carriage hinder me by a lot; however, I still manage to make it to the back and place Armin down lightly and stare at his face for a few seconds, knowing this might be the last time I'll ever see him. I then gaze behind me to see no sight of a titan but instead chaos ensuing among the streets of Zingi. Shrieks are the only sound I can hear and people running for their lives is the only thing I can see.

A lightning bolt sounds from across the city, probably Annie or another titan shifter. I turn my head in that direction and expect to hear sounds of a titan destroying the city and killing people, but instead that general direction seems silent.

_Connie._

I race back into the nearly destroyed carriage and get down on my knees to see him with his eyes _open,_ darting around in panic. He then focuses on _me_ , but doesn't say anything.

"You're… you're going to be alright, okay? Just _stay here._ " He doesn't respond.

_I have to find a way to get the hell out of this city, and quick._

The plethora of people racing past me don't seem to care about my troubles, nor do the lucky owners of horses, non-broken carriages, or wagons seem to want to help me. But when I've almost lost hope begging for someone to hitch me a ride a voice I wasn't expecting to hear calls out my name.

"SASHA!" Alex yells from the top of the building over to the right of me, across the wildly active street. I look up at him, that eleven-year old kid, the most unlikely of saviours, as he hurriedly climbs his way down the house and rushes over towards me, an expression of fear on his face.

"Alex! W-wh-what are you doing here?" I confusingly ask, crying.

"Doesn't matter! We have to go! Where's Connie, and is Armin alive?"

"They're both alive, and Connie's in that carriage o-over there…"

At this point only sounds of screaming and buildings demolishing is what I hear, but I still haven't seen a titan. It's funny. This almost feels like a dream. The way the people just keep coming, running from something they don't understand, and how that thing… _Annie…_ is doing things _I_ can't understand.

_What is Annie even doing here? Looking for something? Is she even here, or did Armin mistake her for someone else?_

I grasp that last thought, as well as the chance this might be all a dream… No, coming to this town, meeting Alex, and looking for Connie is all a dream… Joining the Scout Regiment might also be a dream, I suppose...

The way everything's blurry, and everybody's scared out of their minds except for me, how everything is… is tinted _green,_ for some odd reason, somehow makes me mildly happy.

A smile forms on my face, accepting what I don't understand, how Alex is screaming my name, how this odd white blur keeps hopping around on the buildings, and everything demolishing to pieces around me causes me to feel like everything's going to be okay. Looking up into the green sky begins to give me a sense of peace, a sense of relief, a sense that makes me feel as if I don't need to do anything except for staying still, _absolutely still._

And then, I notice Annie looking down on me in her titan form. Her hand begins to reach for me, but for some reason I feel like I _want_ her to grab my limp body and kill me.

_Wait, what the hell?_

I partially come to my senses as soon as the white blur I saw earlier leaps over me from the building behind me, striking Annie with something of a vibrant blue sword… _Now that's not blurry,_ I think. I look around me and notice nothing else is blurred or tinted green as well, and Alex's voice snaps me back to reality, grabbing my wrist, telling me it's time to go. I comply, still "out of it," looking back at that white blur, who's no longer a white blur, but a man, fighting Annie with all of his might.

_What in the world did Annie just do to me?_

_**Link's Point of View** _

I remember when I fought Majora.

The entire time I was in Termina, I dreaded that inevitable battle, scared out of my mind every time I thought about it.

Then I beat the hell out of him like it was nothing.

This was, of course, a result of using the Fierce Deity Mask.

I don't know where it came from, why it does what it does, or why I feel so strange and weak after using it…

But it _works._ I feel like I can absolutely do _anything_ when I put it on. That feeling carries over to today, as I stand on top of a rooftop in a large city known as Zingi.

She's here. That Titan Girl, in this city, sprinting down a street while unleashing chaos.

And I'm going to beat her to the ground.

So I place the mask on my face, feel the excruciating pain of transforming into a different being, place my unneeded items down on the roof and hookshot my way into battle.

Instantly, she shifts to the side and swings her giant arm at me, but she misses, and I land on the roof on the opposite side. I hear ear-piercing screams from all directions, and I catch a glimpse below me to see people escaping this place as fast as possible, even fighting each other for a horse. Titan Girl, in her titan form, snaps me back into the fight and thrusts her right hand at me, but doesn't touch me; she pauses, stunned by the fact that either she missed, or didn't use her powers correctly. _Looks like it's the latter,_ I think, seeing as her hand is glowing green.

Countering, I leap off of the structure and strike her hand with my blue blade, slicing an entire portion of her hand off. I jump back into the air as she swings at me in rage, but I dodge all of her attacks while firing my blade's blue projectiles at her titan body, slowly but surely wearing her down.

So I continue the battle. Running, leaping across rooftops, striking her every chance I get with my overpowered blade; she's unable to stop anything I do. Her "green powers" fail to work on me and her I can slice through her crystal-armor she forms easily. After a few minutes of beating the hell out of the titan she transforms back into a human, and I lose track of her the moment she does so.

_Dammit._

I survey the area.

_She's a small blonde, that's all I remember._

No suspicious activity, only a bunch of people freaking out and stealing horses from each other.

The sound of a lightning strike resonates the area. _Now what in the world are you trying to do, titan?_

As expected, she swings at me out of nowhere, and I easily shift to the side, causing her to crash into the building I'm standing on. A minor hole forms in the roof, allowing her and I to peek inside to see a terrified family, every single one of them letting out ear-piercing shrills simultaneously. _Don't you dare…_

Titan Girl abruptly reaches her hand towards them, grasps like two or three people, and slings them in the opposite direction, clearing trying to distract me. I hookshot in that general direction, sending me flying towards them, when a girl about my age hands headfirst into the side of a tower, probably killing her. _Dammit!_

I'm still flying towards someone, probably the father of the family, when I eventually clutch his foot (that's as far as I can reach) and hookshot the same tower that girl landed on, and come tumbling down on the ground. He quickly stumbles to his feet, and a horrific look appears on his face when he sees his daughter.

I couldn't even save the other person.

_That's it. This asshole's going down._

Furious, I sling myself back towards Titan Girl, slashing at her with all of my might. She hurls giant chunks of stone and concrete at me, and I manage to barely dodge it every single time; I, on the other hand, use my awesome blue sword-projectiles, and, when I get the chance, I move forward and attempt to leave a gash somewhere on her giant body, usually in the direction of the nape.

She doesn't pull the "throwing innocent people across the city" stunt again; I'm thankful for that, at least. Doesn't make her a better person.

Eventually we meet each other on a street, amidst the rapid panic, and she looks down on me from above before attempting to stomp on me with her hardened foot; again, I easily dodge and counter by slicing her entire foot off in an instant, like cutting through butter with a hot knife. Yeah. It's _that easy._

She trips and falls to the ground, crushing everything beneath her; despite her attempts, she fails to get back onto her titan feet, and, after a quick observation, I notice something odd about her titan torso.

The places I slashed at with my FD Sword are glowing blue, and seems like it's causing her pain. I stare at my overpowered, blue-glowing blade, thinking, _now just what are you capable of, my friend?_

In the middle of admiring my sword Titan Girl climbs out of the nape of her titan and charges at me, her palm facing my like she's trying to use her powers against me. Still doesn't work.

_Heh._

_Hand-to-sword round two._

She starts off with her regular "try to predict what I'm going to do and counter" shenanigans, and when she does so all I do is swing the blue projectiles at her. She dodges most of them, but eventually after ducking, jumping, and halting continuously for three minutes one of them strikes her directly in the face, followed by her screeching in agony, falling to the ground and writhing in pain.

_Oh my gosh, does it hurt that bad? Damn._

At this point, I convince myself the battle's over, and honestly it's kind of disappointing because I thought it would be more intense, at least the hand-to-sword portion.

At least now I know she's super-vulnerable in human form.

I take my mask off and immediately feel dizzy, and stumble backwards before falling to the ground. _What the hell?_ I think to myself. Excruciating migraine kicks in at lightning speed, and a few seconds after that I get super-drowsy. _Is this a FDM side effect? Probably._

Failing to resist, I succumb to the sleepiness and fall asleep on the ground in the middle of a torn-apart and devastated city. _At least I still saved this city,_ I reassure myself, before my vision is taken over by blackness.

**. . .**

"Sasha, what is _this_?"

"That's his mask, and he probably doesn't want you using it. Put it down."

"Fine, no need to be bossy. Oh, and, Armin's awake."

_Wha - what is this?_

"Go tell him to come in here and see this."

"I'm already here. Wait - _is_ _this -"_

"It's the kid."

_Whose voices are these?_

My eyes open, and I realize I'm laying on a bed, with three people in some kind of room. One of them, a girl, notices I'm awake.

"Oh, my - you! You're awake!" She paces over to me.

"What? Wh-who are you?" I confusingly ask. Memories of what happened before I was KO'd comes back to me.

"I'm, uh - I'm Sasha, that's Alex, he's Armin, and the dude lying in the other room is Connie."

"Uh… alrighty then. Well, I'm guessing you guys saved me?"

"Actually, you saved us," the short blond named Armin says. "But yeah, I guess you can say we saved you. Sasha shot the girl you were fighting while you were knocked out with an arrow, and she fled."

"Ah… Well, thanks, I guess. I feel fine, so I'm going to go… is that okay?"

"Actually, we thought we could use your help," that kid Alex speaks up.

I hop out of bed and look at him questioningly.

"How do you mean?"

"We have a mutual enemy. The Female Titan. I personally wasn't planning on taking her down with just this group we have going on here, but after seeing everything _you_ can do, I think we can accomplish that. What do you say?"

 _Everything_ _**I** _ _can do…_

"Uh… Fine, yeah, whatever."

"Then let's go get 'er."

****


	13. Welcome to District Yarckel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stumbling upon some old friends.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_-the morning after he fought Annie in Zingi-_

The city I saved is now a ghost town.

Most escaped, some died, a few never left at all.

After retrieving my bag of items & masks, as well as my horse Epona, Alex, Armin, Sasha, Connie, and I set up camp inside a house that was barely touched by the utter destruction caused by Titan Girl, who is apparently named Annie.

That dude Connie's still out cold. Alive, though.

"Anybody have a map of all three walls?" I hopefully ask, drawing on my personal map. I just put "Zingi" down in southern Wall Rose.

"Nope," Alex responds. He's shuffling through a stack of books the previous owners of this house had. Armin's sketching something on a big piece of paper on the floor, and Sasha's packing her bag with supplies.

"Welp, I'm going to go out on a food run, guys. Anybody wanna join me?" the reddish-brown-haired girl named Sasha asks aloud after a few minutes. Armin perks his head up from whatever he's drawing, and says, "I can't come right now, but I'd really love some more pencils."

"That's not food, Armin," Sasha replies.

"I'm trying to figure out where we're gonna go, and I can't do that without a writing utensil."

"Alright, whatever. Link, care to join me?" she asks, swerving towards me.

"Sure, I guess."

**. . .**

"It feels so… weird out here. Just a few days ago the streets of this city were flourishing after Annie attacked one of the districts. You were there, weren't you? Ehrmich?"

"I was. I was beaten by Annie, as well."

The sun, just now rising above the terrain out in the distance, lets us know we have to be back fast, as apparently some group is looking for us at this very moment. It lights up the abandoned streets, with rubble constantly in the way of our path and entire lives destroyed…

_by her._

_I guess she's the next Big Bad,_ I think to myself. _However, I don't think she's anywhere near Ganondorf or Majora. She has her strong points, though._

"Right before the Female Titan attacked Ehrmich, someone approached you in that one restaurant…. do you remember her?"

"Yeah. Tried to fight the titan. She failed. I nicknamed her Black Hair in my head. What about her?"

"Well… her name's Mikasa, and she's one of the best titan-fighters I've ever seen in my life. How badly was she beaten?"

"Sounded like her legs broke. All it took was one swing, and she was paralyzed… but not by her legs being broken. Whatever sorceress powers Annie has probably has to do with it. Her powers don't work on _me_ , however…"

"I noticed."

We stumble upon a fairly large untouched food market, shelves of food packed in cylinder containers - "canned food," it's called. Some are on the ground, some are broken or opened, and some are tightly contained. Taking it all just feels weird. Like we're stealing. Yet nobody's here to stop us…

I grab one of the cans, labelled "Radiok's Green Pea Soup," and open it by the tab-thing at the top, and smell it. _Doesn't seem half bad._ I take a seat on the wall opposite of the shelf I retrieved it from, with broken chairs & windows surrounding me.

"Sasha, you got something I can eat this with?"

"What are you eating?" she replies from the other side of the room, scanning the entire store.

"Uh, 'Radiok's Green Pea Soup'."

"Just drink it straight outta the can."

So, I do that, and help Sasha fill up the backpack she found on the way, along with _her_ backpack. Two backpacks full of canned goods.

"Are you sure we need this much?" I ask her.

"Where we're planning to go, yeah, we'll need quite the load for the trip."

"The trip where?"

"The trip to District Yarckel."

"Why're we going there?"

"Well, we're most definitely not going to stay in Merchant's Heaven, and that district's the next closest, other than those small towns down south."

_Merchant's Heaven? That's an odd name. Hm._

"What is our overall goal?"

She puts the few remaining cans into the backpack and zips it up, and then turns towards me.

"We're hoping to find our fellow Scouts, and maybe one of the leaders. But, now that we have _you_ , we won't hesitate to take Annie on again. District Yarckel is the halfway point from Zingi to the Scout HQ, so that's why we're planning on going there first."

"Scout HQ?"

"Yep."

**. . .**

"Sasha, did you get any pencils?"

"I got the pencils, Armin."

"Good, because I know what we're gonna do."

Armin's been sketching down ideas and maps in hopes of figuring out a plan of where exactly we'll be travelling, and other things like what the female titan might do next, where that girl Mikasa could be, etc.

"Mikasa told me she was going to find Eren by herself, along with taking on Annie if she needs to. I don't know much else, except the first place she decided to go to was Merchant's Heaven. After that, I suspect she'd either go to Scout HQ, or District Yarckel, and if she decides on the former, she'll likely stop by Yarckel anyways."

"Who's Eren?" I ask out of the blue in the brief moment Armin pauses.

"He's one of our friends," Armin quickly replies.

Before he begins speaking again, Sasha asks, "Was there another titan at Ehrmich with shaggy, black hair, fighting Annie?"

"Yeah?"

"That's him. Eren, he's a good guy."

_So we got one of those human-titan shifters on our side._

_Neat._

"So, we head to Yarckel, and hope Annie doesn't attack. If she does, though, we'll be ready, because we have Link. We find Mikasa. We could directly contact someone from the interior and see what they're doing about all of these recent events taking place, and where the Scout Regiment is, because as far as I know, we're all scattered about. Get information about Erwin, Levi, Hanji, and what the deal is there - last time I heard about Levi something was wrong with him, possibly because Annie did something to him."

"And after that?" Alex questions. Armin turns around, half-smiling, and looks at Alex.

"We go straight for Annie."

We pack our bags, with two entire backpacks labelled "FOOD," one duffel-like bag with Sasha's bow and arrows in it, my two bags of masks & items, a bag for miscellaneous stuff Armin has, like his planning supplies, and Alex's bag of random books he "borrowed" from this abandoned house and other random stuff that he decides he wants. After that, we're ready to go.

Ready to go straight for Annie. Of course, after finding Mikasa and doing those other things Armin mentioned.

So we begin our trip. Epona pulls the barely-awake Connie by a small wagon Alex found while Sasha and I were food hunting, with Sasha occasionally checking up on him and trying to get him to eat or drink something. I'm riding Epona, with my bow ready to be used at any time, and Alex & Armin are on the lookout for any of those people Sasha said were looking for us.

Our titan-hunting group traverses the abandoned, demolished town of Zingi. Like the wasteland outside of Wall Rose, some buildings are pretty much untouched, and then some are just utterly destroyed with barely anything remaining. I don't even remember _this much_ destruction happening last night; I don't really remember anything about that fight except what happened right before, and when I woke up during the aftermath. Rubble's constantly in our path, causing us frequent detours and general inconvenience. We run into a few people asking for food, to which I eagerly hand them a can or two, knowing that Titan Girl caused them to go through hell…

**. . .**

"Link, can we, um… like, trade spots?" Alex asks amidst the silence of travelling through the grassy plains of Zingi Field. I turn my head towards him over to the right of me.

"Do you mean you want to ride my horse?"

"Yes, my feet are really starting to hurt."

"Same," Sasha interrupts. Armin's already took it upon himself to take a seat next to Connie on the wagon being pulled by Epona.

"You know how to ride a horse?"

"Of course!"

"Fine. Don't make her freak out, please," I tell him before hopping off and begin travelling on foot.

Zingi Field. The land stretching from the tip of Ehrmich to Zingi, and then some. That's where we are, and the smack middle of it, too. Sun's telling us it's almost noon as it blasts its rays right down on us from above, and according to Armin we gotta be in Yarckel sometime before dark. We're almost halfway there. Actually, we're half of halfway there, because we're actually going to Scout HQ…

I don't know. I'm just going along with these guys to make my job easier. They don't seem half-bad, though. Nice people.

I guess after I take care of the Female Titan problem, I'll try to find some kind of way to get back home…

_But how?_ I think to myself. _I don't even know how I got here. I just woke up in a field after a really strange experience in that Terminian Clock Tower, which brings me to saving yet another world I don't reside in. Could Shadow Link, that weird being, have any answers? He might be mute but he's gotta have some clue._

_I wonder if I'll ever be able to go back to Hyrule at all,_ I think, staring off into the Zingi Field horizon, its grass stretching as far as the eye can see in every direction.

_No… I can't think that way. Stay focused on the task at hand, and when the time comes I'll figure it out. I always figure it out._

"Armin," Sasha calls out, slowing down towhere she's right by the small blond boy, sitting on the mini-wagon.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think happened to Eren in Ehrmich?"

"It's… That's a question I've been pondering ever since it happened. Mikasa told me something about him magically disappearing by Annie, or something else of the sorts. Last time this happened, he was easily saved by Levi and Mikasa, but now he's just… gone. For once, I just don't know."

"Yeah…"

_Levi… I know that name…_

"Link, Alex," Armin calmly says a minute or two after his short conversation with Sasha.

"Hm?" we simultaneously reply.

"Have you guys ever thought about what's outside the walls?"

"Of course I have! Who knows what's really out there? I-I managed to find a book solely about the outside in that person's house, you wanna read?" Alex excitedly responds.

"I'll pass for now… what about you, Link? They said you were 'outside Wall Maria,' but that's impossible, right?"

"Heh… yeah. Farthest I've ever gone from the inner districts was, um… one of those small southern towns."

Alex, who's been skimming through the book supposedly about the outside walls, begins to speak up, saying, "Look at _this!_ Dude, you know what mountains are, right?"

_Is he talking to me?_

"Link?" he asks.

"Yes, yes, I know what they are."

"This book tells about one that's more than _eight-thousand_ meters tall! Can you believe that? Oh, and it also tells about…. Hm… Hold on one second."

He continues showing Armin and I, as well as Sasha, random things from the book, with Sasha sometimes paying attention, Armin either being intrigued or not really caring, and I usually listening. Alex eventually asks if he can lay down in the wagon, and he falls asleep not five minutes later. Sasha starts riding Epona and Armin starts walking again.

**. . .**

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to District Yarckel," Alex speaks as we approach the gate to one of the only inner districts not destroyed by Annie. We've been riding through a small town that resides just outside of District Yarckel, and had stopped to eat a few minutes earlier.

"How long are we planning on staying here?" Sasha asks Armin, to which he replies, "Not too long."

He continues. "After Zingi was attacked, and a crowd of frightened citizens flocked to either this district or Merchant's Heaven, I've assumed crime will be on the rise due to how desperate people are for money. We do what we need to do and then leave as soon as possible, got it? You guys can go do what you want for now, but meet back here before sundown."

Yarckel has a bustling community, especially after people decided to come here after Zingi's attack, with plenty of children running about and food stands constantly being restocked due to the amount of people. If you _only_ lived in this district, you probably wouldn't have a clue of what's going on in the other districts.

Of course, that's only if you don't read the newspapers being sold _literally everywhere._

"Titan Shifter Attacks Ehrmich," one of them reads. _Have these guys gotten word of what happened in Zingi?_

_I've also heard she attacked Stohess._

There's a guy standing next to me, who's pretty tall, reading the same newspaper as I in front of the newspaper stand. I step a little closer to him, and say, "These headlines are old, dude."

"Don't worry, I know that."

"JEAN!" someone shouts from behind. The guy next to me turns around abruptly and looks in the direction of the voice. A tall, possibly taller than "Jean," girl, with brown hair in a ponytail, paces over towards him, saying, "We don't have time to be lollygagging! We're only here to try and access Mitras as fast as possible!"

"Lollygagging?" he sarcastically asks.

"Shut up. Mikasa already knows how to get in, and she's literally at the gate as we speak. Hurry up!" she yells as the Jean guy reluctantly follows her off to wherever they're supposed to be.

_Mikasa._

_Could that be…_

_That girl from Ehrmich? The one we're supposed to be looking for?_

_Welp, time to figure out whether or not it's her._

I place the newspaper back on its stand and begin following Jean (pronounced "John") and the other girl through the dirt roads of Yarckel, frequently hiding behind random people and buildings when they turn around. They seem to be extremely careful, as they're constantly looking around and searching for anybody pursuing them and whatnot; however, they don't notice me. How could you blame them, though? I'm just a thirteen year-old kid with a sword and bow.

I reach the "marketplace of Yarckel," where a plethora of food stands reside in tightly-packed rows. It becomes harder to keep up with Jean and the other girl, but I manage - "Ymir," Ymir's her name, or at least that's what Jean's called her a couple times. They begin to walk at a faster pace amidst the crowd of the marketplace, and I try to keep up, but due to my lack of height and their position continually drifting away from mine, I eventually lose track of them.

_Great._

Just as I'm turning back, someone clutches my arm and pulls me into the nearest gap between the stands, throwing me onto the ground.

_It's her… Mikasa._

"Why were you following them, just now?" she firmly questions.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb, kid. You were following two people I know, and you've been doing so for quite a bit, I presume."

"I was looking for you."

"W-what? What are you talking about?"

"I'm here with Sasha and Armin, and we stopped in this district to take care of some business, and some of that business included finding you."

"Sasha, Armi - what? What are you guys doing here? Why are you with them?"

"Look, calm down for a moment, okay? I'll explain everything later," I say, rising from the ground.

"No, you're coming with me," she hastily replies, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back into the crowd. _What is it with her and grabbing my arm and telling me what to do?_

I reluctantly comply, and she makes her way towards those people Jean and Ymir before eventually tapping on their shoulders.

"Mikasa, wha - what? I thought you were at the Mitras gate?" Jean asks out of confusion.

"I was doing something else. Did you know _this kid_ has been following you two?"

"You're the kid at the newspaper stand, aren't you?" Jean asks, peering over at me.

"Yes, I am, and guys, I'm with Sasha and Armin, and also Connie and Alex, and we're on our way to Scout HQ. I mean no harm."

"We're going to District Utopia. Stopped here to see if we could cut through Mitras, see if any of our leaders are there, then head north," Ymir explains, clearly trusting me with this information.

"Ymir, what the hell? Do you even know this kid?" Mikasa angrily argues.

"He claims he's with Armin, he's fine, Mikasa. What do you think he's gonna do?"

She thinks about it for a second before releasing my arm and calming down. Then, she turns to me.

"Alright, where's Armin?"

**. . .**

"District Utopia? Why Utopia?" Armin questions. We're sitting at a table somewhere in the food marketplace, with Armin, Sasha, an asleep Connie, Mikasa, Ymir, Jean, and I. Alex is out exploring, which is what I want to be doing right now.

"Ymir claims that's where Eren is, as well as Krista, and possibly some other people," replies Mikasa.

"How do you know this?"

Ymir begins explaining, "I was in Merchant's Heaven with Bert, Reiner, and Krista, when Krista told me she overheard Reiner and Annie talking about a bunch of stuff, including 'putting their problems in District Utopia', and she confronted them about it, and I haven't seen her since. I saw Mikasa once or twice, and then all of the sudden she was fighting Annie, and I met up with her after that, then Jean here came out of nowhere, and wanted to come with us with whatever we're doing. Which is going to rescue Eren and Krista from Utopia."

"Wait, Reiner's bad?" Sasha asks out of the blue.

"Yes, yes, he is. He nearly killed me with a shotgun after I saw Annie and Bertholdt's bad, too. They're all working for Annie. So much has happened after I left Zingi, and it sounds like a lot has happened for you, too," Mikasa explains.

_Sounds like these guys have gone through hell._

_And they're apparently just getting started._

"We were planning on heading to HQ, but you guys are going straight for Utopia. Now that we've met up, what are we gonna do now?" questions Armin.

"I'm still going to Utopia. I doubt Levi or anybody else is at HQ. If anything, they stuffed Levi and the others in Utopia, if I had to guess."

In the smack middle of this clearly important conversation I'm having a hard time keeping up with, my triforce decides it's a good time to shine, and starts resonating.

_Seriously? This only happens when the other two pieces are near. The only other time it resonates is when… is when…_

_Shadow Link._

_Oh no._

"Guys, I gotta go do something. I'll be back," I say, with a sort-of scared look on my face. Sasha looks at me questioningly but doesn't ask anything, but it's the girl that I barely know that asks something.

"Where are you going?" Mikasa inquires.

"Someone I didn't know I'd be seeing again is here. Don't worry, I'll handle it."

She catches a glimpse of my resonating triforce on my left hand before I disappear in search of the looming threat that is Shadow Link.

_Shadow Link, now just what are you up to?_ I think to myself, scanning the premises for a dark figure waiting to attack me. Just as I'm about to switch positions, someone grabs my right wrist, and I quickly unsheathe my sword and almost stab the person grabbing me, thinking it's Shadow Link, before I see it's that girl Mikasa. _What is her problem?_

I sigh, sheathe my sword, and demand, "What are you doing? Unhand me!"

"What do you mean, 'someone you didn't know you'd be seeing again is here'?"

"Doesn't matter, I said I'd handle it. Please let go of my wrist."

She lets go, and I assume she walks away and begin searching for Shadow Link again. I stumble upon an alley with no other soul in sight, completely quiet, when I spot him at the end of the alleyway.

"Hello, friend!" I sarcastically shout. He turns around and holds his right hand up, with his 'dark-triforce' resonating like mine.

"Ooo, cool! I have one too, see?" I hold mine up towards him, and he covers his eyes for a second before unsheathing his dark sword.

"Oh, you wanna do that, huh? Again? Dude, what the heck is your problem?"

As usual, his mute self doesn't respond to my question.

"You wanna fight again? Let's freakin' fight again."

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

_I'm gonna keep following him. I still don't fully trust this kid._

He stops at an alleyway and starts walking down it. I hide behind the nearest wall and take a peek at what he's doing.

"Hello, friend!" he shouts. _What the hell?_

"Ooo, cool! I have one too, see?"

_...who the hell is he talking to?_

I hear the sound of a sword unsheathing and almost jump out to see what's going on. I can't see who he's talking to, and I'm afraid if I peek my head out too far they'll see me.

"Oh, you wanna do that, huh? Again? Dude, what the heck is your problem?" he angrily asks.

"You wanna fight again? Let's freakin' fight again."

He unsheathes his sword and jumps forward, followed by me quickly jumping out to see what's going on.

A dark, shadowy figure, the same size of the green-tunic kid Sasha and Armin's referred to as "Link," is fighting him. With a sword. A sword battle in the middle of this… this district.

_What the hell is that thing? It's like a dark version of Link. And they're fighting each other. It looks like the kid's winning, though, but still, why?_

_This is one strange kid._

"Kid, what the hell are you doing?" I decide to call out, surprising the two and pausing the battle. They both look up at me in confusion.

"Mikasa? Why are you - what?"

Link begins walking over to me when the shadow leaps forward and _stabs him in the stomach_ , followed by Link yelling in pain. The shadow sprints in the other direction and climbs up the alley wall, and Link attempts to get up from the ground but just falls back over. _Oh my god…_

He looks over at me in horror, and I run towards him, pick him up, and begin looking for the nearest hospital.

"My bag… Bring me my bag," he weakly says. The spot he was stabbed starts leaving a red stain as I run as fast as possible, scared out of my mind, thinking this kid's about to die.

_His bag? What does he mean?_ I assume "his bag" is near where Sasha and the others are sitting, so I shuffle through the crowd as fast as possible in that general direction. When I reach them they all turn their heads towards me in rapid panic, with Sasha standing up and screaming, "What the hell happened?!"

I hurriedly place Link on the table and ask, "Where's his bag?"

Armin holds up a bag, and I assume it's his and grab it out of his hands, look in it, and see all sorts of weird stuff.

A purple magnifying glass, a bunch of arrows, a couple of jars with red liquid, some kind of flute… Just as I'm looking at all of this stuff, Link says, "There's a jar with red stuff in it… Give it to me, please." I clutch it out of the bag, open it, and give it to him. He quickly drinks it down until there's none left and hops off of the table.

He looks at me, half-smiling, and says "Phew, that was a close one. Thanks!" before taking a seat next to Sasha, still scared out of her mind.

_Who the hell is this kid?_

_I mean, he just nearly died, then he drank something, now he's fine._

**. . .**

We rented two hotel rooms for our group after the incident with the kid Link happened.

Still pondering over what really went down there.

The kid's sound asleep on a couch, still in that green tunic of his.

There's another kid, named Alex, who's tagging along with Sasha. He doesn't seem as strange as Link does, and I have no idea why he's here, but he is. Has shortish blond hair, is a little shorter than Link, and loves to talk. A lot. He tried to converse with me earlier, but I didn't really feel like talking. Sasha doesn't seem to mind it. Neither does Armin or Link.

Then there's Connie, who gets an entire bed to himself. He's out cold, and he's been that way for a few days. He was awake earlier, and was talking to Sasha, and then after eating something he just went back to sleep.

So we basically have a thing going here, our own little group trying to save our own and take down Annie. Sasha claims Link fought Annie and _won,_ so he needs to be with us. And I don't doubt that… sure, he's a weird kid, but now I've decided I trust him, just because of the way he acts and how Sasha speaks of him.

I'm sharing a room with Jean, Ymir, and that kid Alex, and Link, Sasha, Armin, and Connie are in the other room; however, most of us are currently hanging out in Sasha's room, with only Ymir in the other room. Our suites are across from each other, so we can basically just walk there whenever we want.

We're all sitting down in the main room, everybody doing their own thing: Armin's sketching on a giant piece of paper on the wooden floor; Jean's drinking some coffee on the couch, and next to Jean is Sasha, who's skimming through one of the books Alex found, with Alex also looking through the book with her; and then there's Link, who's napping on the couch, leaving no room for anybody else. I'm standing up beside him.

"Link."

No response.

"Link!"

He grunts and rolls over on his back.

"What?"

"Move over."

"Fine." He reluctantly scoots to the other side of the couch and lays his head down on the edge, leaving me just enough room to sit. _He's definitely something._

Ymir walks in a few minutes later to break the silence.

"Does anybody want to go get something to eat? And no, not canned food, like _real food._ "

"Do I have to pay?" asks Alex, still looking at the book him and Sasha are reading.

"I'll pay, since you're a kid. Ok, everybody who wants food, meet me at the front of the hotel ASAP, alright? If you have money, bring it!" she tells everybody as she strolls out of the door.

I decide to go, and meet with Sasha, Alex, Armin, Jean, and Ymir. Sasha tries to get Link to go, but for some reason he's been seeming really exhausted. I mean, he _did_ just get stabbed right through the stomach, but something tells me it's not that.

"Link," I say to him, sitting on the opposite edge of the couch.

"Yeah?"

"Last call. Sure you don't wanna go?"

"Yep."

"Are you… OK?"

"Yep."

"Well… alrighty then," I reply before walking out the door & locking it.

Seems like that kid hasn't really opened up to anyone. I mean, he pretty much just met Sasha and them, and now there's even more people in the group, so I don't really blame him. I don't know why the other kid Alex's tagging along, but I haven't really questioned it because he seems like he genuinely wants to be here, and legitimately likes hanging around Sasha and Armin. Link, on the other hand… it's not that I think he doesn't like us, but…

I don't know. Why do I even care? He'll eventually come around. Everybody does.

**. . .**

"Sasha, do you have any more money?" asks Alex, probably in hopes of buying more food.

"Yes, I have a little bit left, and I don't plan on spending it."

"Well… _can you spend just a little bit?_ "

"No, I'm not spending any on you, and that's final, Alex."

"Hey! I didn't say you would be spending it on me!"

"But you meant it, I know, don't be stupid."

" _Fine._ "

_Looks like they're getting along just fine,_ I think. We're sitting at a circular table at an outside restaurant somewhere in the marketplace, the most crowded area of District Yarckel.

"So, have we decided whether or not we're going with Ymir to cut through Mitras or taking the scenic route and stopping by HQ?" I ask Armin from across the table.

"I think we should head for Utopia first. We have you and Link, so we're more than ready for any threats we might face… by the way, where _is_ Link?"

"Sleeping," says Sasha, who's sitting next to Armin. "He seems exhausted. I don't know why. Kind of like after he fought Annie."

"Well, hopefully he'll be okay by tomorrow. Also, Connie probably needs to get better, and fast, because right now he's just a burden that's not really helping - I mean no offense, it's not his fault what happened, but still. Maybe that stuff Link drank to magically heal him would help his leg…" I reply.

"Still can't get over that," says Armin, who looks like he's pondering deeply about something. "He's definitely not from here…"

"What do you mean, 'not from here'?" I ask.

"I don't know… I don't mean he's from outside the walls, but… I don't know. Let's not question him and just be grateful he's helping us."

Jean, who's been silent the entire time, decides to speak up.

"How is this kid so powerful?"

"He took Annie on alone over in Zingi and actually _won_ using some kind of power that makes him look like an adult, a weird one at that. Sasha saw him, said he was leaping across rooftops and had a giant blue sword," explains Armin.

"I'll believe it when I see it," he replies. "When's our food comin'?"

"Armin," Sasha abruptly says, hurriedly tapping on his shoulder. He looks at her, and she points at something over to the right of me. I look that way and just see a crowd of people walking about and buying stuff.

"Is that?"

"It's the Arrowheart girl," Armin says. "And she's got friends. Well, guys, looks like we won't be staying here long."

"Who's she?" I ask.

"Girl who works for the Fraternity Rose you told us about. Beat Armin and tried to get information... basically, a bad guy. Or girl, I mean."

That girl they're speaking of, along with a few people dressed in blue, labelled FR - _FR people_ \- spot Sasha, and walk over to the table.

"Jessica, take another step and I won't hesitate to kill you," Sasha firmly tells her, standing up.

"Chill! I didn't even do anything! My God, I just wanted to talk. Geez," she sort-of sarcastically replies. _Hm._

"What do you want?"

"We're looking for a girl. Lyssa Pearson. She's done some things we don't like and we need her terminated. Look, you help us, we don't come after you. Yes, we see Connie right there, who you took back from us. And we won't take him back if you just help us."

_I've heard that name somewhere._

"Go to hell, you asshole."

Armin stands up and tries to talk to Sasha, saying, "Sasha, consider the deal. We don't want anything to do with FR, and this is our chance to erase our past problems with them."

"Armin, _you know what they did to you._ And I don't know about you, but I'm never going to forget the fact that they kidnapped me, you, and Connie, and tortured _you._ Nope. Not working with them. Never ever."

"Well, Sasha, we'll give you time for your little group you have going on here to convince you otherwise, and we'll be back tomorrow for a final answer."

So, after that little chitchat with the bad FR guys, we eat, then we head on back to our hotel rooms, and find Link awake and drinking coffee that he bought while we were gone. _Yep… He's fine. Just weird, that's all._

That small kid, with his strange, green tunic, tiny boots, and childish face…

_He's our ticket into District Utopia._

_Or at least our way out._

Someone knocks on the door of the hotel room. Sasha walks out of the kitchen and over into the main room, shooting me a confused look.

"Who the heck is that?" she asks. I shrug, and then say, "I'll go get it."

I unlock the door and crack it open a little bit to see a girl, taller than me, with long, black hair, and an expression of stressed to the maximum.

"Uh - hi, can I talk to S-sasha?" Sasha, who's peeking her head from behind the wall, looks at me confusingly.

"Sasha, it's… it's for you." She strides towards the door and opens it up, and the girl begins speaking.

_It looks like she's about to cry._

"I'm… I'm Lyssa, the girl the Arrowhearts are hunting. I need somewhere safe to stay the night, can I sleep here?"

She looks about seventeen. Now what has she does to piss off Fraternity Rose so much to where they ask someone like us for help?

_**Eren's Point of View** _

"Eren, why are they doing this?" she asks, trembling.

"They think we're threats. They, *sniffle* I think they killed Hanji just now. Deemed her n-non-useful."

"Why am I useful?"

"I don't know, but be grateful. It means we'll be alive, Krista."

"I'm going to kill all of them," Levi claims out of nowhere. He's not crying, but looks like he's in pain.

"I'll kill Annie, I'll kill Reiner, I'll kill Bertholdt, I'll kill Maxus, those Arrowhearts they're talking about… Everybody."

He continues, saying, "Nobody does this to us. _Nobody._ "

_Mikasa… Armin…_

_I'm really gonna need you guys to come soon._


	14. Operation Arrowheart, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alcohol coffee and morse code.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_Can't sleep._

After three long hours of lying on the couch in silence, unable to get any shuteye, I decide to go out and buy some coffee. Yeah, coffee probably doesn't help in this situation, but that's the only thing I want right now.

So I find one of the many room keys and sneak outside, immediately greeted by the cold air and the silence of the night. _Stores are open 24/7 in Hyrule, so there's gotta be at least one coffee shop open at 1 AM in this place._

A few minutes after desperately searching I stumble upon an outdoor cafe, serving drinks to quite a few people. I'm not in "the marketplace," so this comes at a surprise. There's about ten circular, wooden tables in a tightly-packed area, all but one taken up.

I walk up to the person who look's like they're serving the drinks, and ask, "Do you guys have, um… any coffee?"

It's a short girl with short, blonde hair, and a menacing expression.

"Jim, get me one Rüdesheimer Kaffee for this kid, will you? Okay, that'll be 3 coins, sir."

_Forgot about paying. I usually pay in rupees. Pretty sure they don't accept that here._

_...actually, I have an idea._

"Miss, I don't have any gold _coins_ , but I have a few ultra-valuable gems called 'rupees'."

She perks her head up from whatever she's writing and looks at me with interest.

"I'm listening."

I reach in my right pocket, shuffle around a little, and find two spare green rupees I had before I left Termina. She gazes at them like I'm holding a thousand gold coins, and I realize I'll be able to go pretty far with this.

"Each of these rupees are worth 500 gold coins, but I'm willing to make a deal - if I give you _both_ of these, I want free drinks _forever._ Got it?"

"Deal!" she happily shouts back at me, with everybody else turning their heads towards us.

"Here's your alcohol-coffee, sir! Have a _lovely_ evening!" she says as she hands me my coffee.

_Alcohol coffee? What the hell is that?_

_I just asked for coffee._

_What'd they call it earlier? "Rudeshimer Caffee?" I don't know. Probably doesn't matter._

Just as I'm about to sip it while I walk to an open table someone slaps the coffee out of my hand, breaking the cup and spilling it all over the ground. Confused, I turn to the side to see Sasha, along with Armin a little ways behind her.

_What's their problem?_

**. . .**

"Sasha, I just wanted some coffee, and that's all I asked for. I assumed the 'alcohol' part didn't mean anything. Why is alcohol so bad?"

"It's a depressant," Armin explains. "It makes you think slower, makes your vision blurrier, and impairs your reasoning. Basically, it's not good stuff."

"Why would they put it in coffee?" I ask.

"I don't know, they put it in everything. Just please, _don't drink it._ You will regret it for weeks after, especially if you consume too much. I…I learned the hard way," Sasha explains.

"Does a story come along with this statement?" Armin hopefully asks Sasha. Sasha just kinda looks at Armin for a second, sighs, and says, "All that happened was I thought I had found cola, and it was actually beer, and I got drunk, and woke up in the forest with a bad headache and noise sensitivity. That's it."

Armin chuckles a little, followed by me laughing, as well. "It's not funny, you two," she says.

After a few more minutes of chatting about alcohol, I eventually say, "I think I know how we can solve our Scout HQ or Mitras dilemma."

"I have the ability to travel somewhere extremely fast, given the right environment, using one of my masks. Remember how I beat Annie in Zingi, and I looked totally different? Kind of like that, except it transforms me into a big, brown, muscular humanoid. I can go there, check and see if anybody or anything useful's there, come back and it's a done deal."

"Interesting," Armin comments. "The masks, I mean. How you can just transform into different beings… Heh, this world just keeps getting crazier and crazier."

"What do you mean?" I curiously ask.

"Uh… Well, I don't know if you know this, but we found out not too long ago about the whole humans-transforming-into-titans thing, and then once we got past that, Annie showed up out of nowhere to mix things up, and she nearly killed Eren at one point. She could harden her skin and killed a lot of people, including everybody on Eren's squad except for Eren and Levi. Once we thought we had beat her, she… she came back with new powers, and then you showed up out of nowhere to even things out, with those masks and all… Ah, I don't know. Sorry, rambling."

"Heh, it's fine."

"He's glad to have you on our team, Link, I guess that's what he's trying to say," Sasha elaborates. "Or at least _I'm_ glad." Armin quickly nods in agreement.

After that last sentence, I can't help but smile, and that continues for the rest of the night.

**. . .**

"Why are we gathered here?" Mikasa asks, sitting on the other side of the same couch I slept on.

"Sasha and Armin have figured out what we're doing next."

It's the next morning, and after talking with Sasha and Armin a little longer we decided to help that girl Lyssa who arrived last night, even if it means fighting off Fraternity Rose. Also, I'm gonna go to the Scout HQ and see how things are going. Don't know when.

"Alright, guys! I have an announcement for this group we have going on here," she starts, grabbing everyone's attention.

"You all know Lyssa, who came in last night? Yeah, we're gonna be helping her escape from the bad guys. Y'know, those people in blue uniforms with the FR symbol."

"Sasha, we know who Fraternity Rose is, just tell us the rest," Ymir speaks up.

Ignoring Ymir's remark, she continues. "And Link here is going to travel to the Scout HQ and get back in here all in just a few hours. Then, you know what? We'll go straight into Mitras, go north into District Orvud, go further north until we reach Utopia, rescue everybody there, beat Annie, and everybody's happy. Yay? Yay."

_She made that sound wayyy easier than it actually is._

"Link, what did she mean you'll go to HQ and back here in a few hours? You're going alone?" Mikasa asks, clearly bewildered by Sasha's joyful-toned 'announcement'.

"Yes, I'm doing that, and yes, I'm going alone. Annie isn't the only one with powers," I tell her.

Surprised, she replies, "...what kind of powers?"

"Things… and, well, y'know… stuff," I awkwardly reply.

**. . .**

Sitting at the dinner table, Sasha, Armin, Mikasa, and I are chatting with the new girl, Lyssa. The one hiding from those '"bad guys".

"Those damn titan lovers…. they've been hunting me for God knows how long… I've been on the run for quite a while," says Lyssa, who I'm pretty sure is only here temporarily. Or is she? I forgot.

"Why are they hunting you?" questions Sasha.

"I hate them and everything that they stand for, and I've definitely shown it, and they don't like that. Trying to keep their image 'clean'."

"Have you heard of Z-Guild?" Mikasa inquires randomly. Lyssa flinches, like Mikasa just told the most dark secret she's ever kept.

"How do you know that name?" she asks.

"I was dealing with Fraternity Rose and ran into a guy named Walden Abert. Said I could stop by at their place in Zingi. But that isn't really an option anymore, is it?"

"Walden… holy crap, you _met_ him? I've only heard random things about him from his son, who's also my friend, Lukas Abert. And, yeah, I know what Z-Guild is. I'm kinda in it, but kinda not."

"Kinda in it, but kinda not?" I sarcastically ask.

"I know all of the schemes they're gonna carry out, help out a lot, know a prominent member personally, blah blah blah, only reason I'm kinda not a member is because I've never been officially introduced. Are you guys done with the questions? Not to be rude, but I'm really tired."

Mikasa pauses for a moment, like she's lost in thought, and then looks up at the girl and says, "Yeah. We're done."

"You guys realize this pretty much means war if they find out we're helping her, right?" Armin asks in a half-scared, half-worried tone. "We had a helluva hard time getting Connie back, and the only thing he did wrong was overhear something. And this girl is in trouble with FR _big time._ "

"Even though our main focus is saving Eren and the others, if these guys want a war, _we'll give them one_ ," Sasha claims.

_Sigh._

I then ask, "I'm guessing we're going to wait and see what happens before I head on to the HQ place I'm supposed to go?"

"It'd probably be much easier if you stayed here, Link," says Mikasa. "Either that, or we all leave this place at once."

"Let's ready ourselves," suggests Armin. "We don't know much about these people except for that they're dangerous and they mean business. Sasha, remember when they said they had to have the answer by today?"

"Yes," replies Sasha. "And I don't plan on giving them an answer."

"Good idea. Alright, while we're in Yarckel, I need certain people to carry out certain tasks - Link and Mikasa, you guys try to figure out whether or not they deem us a large threat and basically gather intel without getting caught; Alex and I will stay here and plan our getaway and such; Sasha, Ymir, and Jean will stay here and guard the hotel; Lyssa, as far as I'm concerned, just needs to stay hidden. Fraternity Rose doesn't know she's staying here yet; it needs to stay that way. We can avoid a huge fight if we play this out correctly, but if one thing goes wrong, _everything can go wrong._ "

"Are you saying I'm supposed to infiltrate whatever hideout they got here, figure out if they're targeting us, and make it back without being spotted _at all?_ " I ask.

Armin looks over to me.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That sounds… like a _lot_ of fun." This response takes everyone by surprise, especially Mikasa, who is the one coming along with me.

"We must leave, at once! Come, Mikasa, it is time for a grand adventure!" I happily say, hopping up from my seat, and rushing to grab some supplies.

Infiltrating bases and hideouts has always been my favorite thing to do, and now that I'm doing it again, I find myself in the best mood I've been in since I arrived here.

"Link, you _do_ realize that we know absolutely nothing about the whereabouts of these people, whether or not they'll kill you if caught, if they even have a base here, and a whole lot of other stuff?" Armin questions as I wrap my bow around my torso and place my last remaining arrows in my quiver.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Worry not, my friend, as my level of expertise in this sort of operation is unmatched!"

"Mikasa," Armin says as Mikasa enters the room, "Watch after him. He seems… over-confident."

"'Over-confident?' Blasphemy! If anything, I am under-confident! These fiends will never know what hit them!"

**. . .**

"Why, exactly, are you so excited?" Mikasa, half-confused, asks me as we traverse Yarckel.

"I have no idea. I just love doing sneaky things like this. That, combined with the amount of coffee I drank this morning."

"Is that also why you were talking like one of those ancient kingdom people Armin's talked about?"

"Probably. Question: why do people put alcohol in coffee?" I question, changing the subject.

"Where is this coming from?"

"I almost drank some yesterday, and I want to know why it's a thing. Why does alcohol even exist at all?"

"For the effect. It makes you feel like everything's going to be okay, and some people use alcohol to solve their problems. Others, well… I don't know. I've never had it."

"Why put it in coffee?"

"Link, I don't know. Can we focus on the task at hand?"

The more I learn about this universe, the more I get confused. You got giant, naked humanoid monsters that eat people, people that transform into said naked humanoids, a poison-like substance that people drink because they can, and then there's a shadow version of myself that resides here for some reason.

Or did he follow me here?

Don't know.

Anyways, Mikasa and I, after a few minutes, come across one of those Fraternity Rose goons in the marketplace, and he's not with any of the other FR goons. Without telling me anything, Mikasa steps ahead of me, towards the FR person, and whispers in his ear, threatening him, by the looks of it. The guy reluctantly raises his hands in the air, and Mikasa searches him, and also pulls some pieces of paper out of his pocket.

She walks back to me, smiling, saying, "If they're unarmed, that basically means you've already won."

"Why didn't you say anything before you did… whatever that was?"

"Well, I'm already a target, and if they see you doing something like that with me you'll be a target as well."

She unfolds the three notes she stole from the person, and my oh my, one of them is basically all we need to find out where these guys are. A map of District Yarckel, complete with all of the secret routes to the "local FR base," as it says. The other two we found are orders for FR's members, one of them reading something along the lines of finding Lyssa and killing her, and the other being finding some kind of chemical.

"Think we should bring this back to Armin?" Mikasa asks me, amazed by the gold mine we've just struck.

"Well, his orders were to figure out whether or not they're targeting us, and, by the looks of it, all they care about is Lyssa and a type of chemical for their lab in 'MH'. Wait… does this mean we're not going into their base?"

"Well, Link, now that we know they have one here, we might as well, because they now know we're here and _will_ deem us a major threat if they find out we're helping that Z-Guild girl. I don't see why they _wouldn't_ come after us, considering all of the trouble Sasha and I have caused for them."

"...so, that's a yes?"

" _Yes,_ Link, that's a yes. Back to the original question: should we bring these papers back to Armin?"

" _You're not going anywhere with those papers,_ " a threatening voice says from behind. Mikasa and I jerk around to see _another one of those damned titan lovers,_ as Lyssa called them. He's wearing a different uniform, along with some hookshot gear, and two fully-loaded handguns pointed at Mikasa and I.

"I'm going to tell you this bluntly: hand me the papers and I shan't kill you slower than I normally would."

_This guy reminds me of Levi, that narrow-eyed fellow, except taller and scarier…_

The situation we're in starts grabbing the attention of the people in the marketplace, and before long everybody in sight has their heads turned this way. Still in shock, Mikasa slowly backs away, and I, on the other hand, am just staring him down with the most menacing expression I can make. It's probably not working, but it's worth a try.

"Mikasa," I say. "Move a little to the left."

"Shut up!" The FR person yells at me.

Mikasa complies, not knowing what I'm doing, but trusting me anyways.

I reach into my left pocket as the guy stares down the slowly-moving Mikasa, ready to shoot at any second, when I pull out my hookshot and shoot it directly behind me, and it latches onto a building, sending me flying in that direction, along with Mikasa after I grab her arm. We tumble into a different block, crashing down into the many food stands of the Yarckel Marketplace, and when we stumble to our feet I begin sprinting, telling Mikasa, "Come on!"

_We haven't even gotten to their base yet and we've already been caught._

_That's gotta be a record or something._

After running down multiple blocks amidst the fast-moving crowd, I hand my golden hookshot to Mikasa, and tell her to grab my wrist and shoot it at the top of a building. She does so, and after landing on top of a one story building, we're finally able to rest.

"Did he… did he see us?" I ask, panting.

"I don't think so. That was quite the thing you did there," she replies.

"What?"

"Nevermind. Let's just get out of here."

**. . .**

"We have good news, and we have bad news," I tell the group at the hotel. They're all sitting down, anxiously waiting for what we've found.

"Good news first!" Alex shouts.

"Good news is," Mikasa explains, "uh… well, targeting us isn't their main objective, and we also found where their base is in Yarckel."

"Bad news is that they're probably targeting us now because one of them nearly killed us earlier."

"WHAT?!" Lyssa exclaims. "You mean to say they're probably coming to kill us all at this very moment?"

"Chill! No! I don't know! It was only me and Mikasa, and they don't know me and probably don't know Mikasa's in Sasha's group," I say, trying to calm the girl down.

"Ohhh my _God_ , I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm so screwed…" Lyssa solemnly says as she plops down on the couch.

"You're not screwed, girl, you're fine. They don't know you're here and as long as it stays that way, there's no problem. So I'd advise you calm the hell down and help us try to make sense of everything we've found or else we'll _all_ be screwed," Mikasa firmly tells her.

"Sorry, I just - doing this is getting really old, and it's really frustrating."

"Yeah, well, life's frustrating. Moping about it gets you nowhere."

After everybody gathers around the dinner table, or should I say the _planning_ table, Mikasa gives her the three papers and she opens them up and skims over them.

She sighs, saying, "Nothing I don't already know."

"What the hell? Are you meaning to tell me we nearly got ourselves killed for nothing?" Mikasa angrily questions.

"Can you stop yelling at me? Geez, if you wanted information, you should've asked!"

"Alright. Tell us everything you know about them. _Everything._ "

"Okay, um… Fraternity Rose is an organization that almost religiously believes titans are actually humans, including the ones that aren't 'titan shifters,' and doesn't want anybody to do anything to them. They killed the Survey Core/Recon Core, whatever it's called's titans they had for experimentation, or at least they got someone to do it. I really don't know that much about them except that they're basically the bad guys."

"Annie…" Armin whispers to himself.

"Hm?" Lyssa asks him.

"Oh, uh… a girl named Annie was the one who killed those two titans. Does this mean these FR people have a titan shifter on their side?"

"What about the Colossal and Armored?" Mikasa interrupts. "Are they with these guys too?"

"You talking about the big red one, and his friend? No idea," Lyssa replies. "But I'm guessing the Annie girl you're talking about is on their side."

"Reiner and Bertholdt," that girl Ymir, who hasn't spoken a word, says out of the blue.

"What?" Mikasa asks.

"Ber… Bertholdt and Reiner are the Colossal and Armored Titans, respectively."

"WHAT?!" Mikasa yells, along with everybody else reacting in a similar fashion. I don't really know who they're talking about, but I'm guessing they're gonna become a problem.

Armin, who didn't freak out when told who the Colossal and Armored Titans were, says, "If you think about it, it makes sense."

He continues after everybody calms down. "When Mikasa first said they were with Annie, that was the first thing that came to mind - but like with the Female Titan, when we were still trying to figure out who that was, I held it in and hoped it wasn't true, but I guess it doesn't matter because they'll kill us either way."

He sighs, and says, "They're probably waiting in Utopia at this very moment."

Mikasa, still stunned, asks Ymir, "How do you know this and why the _hell_ haven't you told anyone?"

"Chill, Mikasa, I was thinking of the right time to tell it. I've been here for like, a day. Anyways, I overheard Reiner in MH talking about using 'his titan's armor' to destroy Wall Rose, and also Bertholdt destroying Utopia's wall once 'the problem district has no more problems'."

"Is there _anything else_ you'd like to tell us?" Mikasa rebukes.

"Nah."

**. . .**

"What is it with you and coffee? I mean, it's like you've never had it before this week," Alex confusingly questions me.

"I haven't."

"Ah. But why are you drinking so much right _now?_ It's almost midnight!"

"Operation Arrowheart, baby! Did you forget?"

"Of course I didn't forget. Thought you were going tomorrow."

"Nah. Better at night time, according to Mikasa."

_Speaking of Mikasa, where is Mikasa?_

"Hey, where's Mikasa?" I ask Alex.

"Right here," she replies, walking past me. I catch a glimpse of her hand, which I'm pretty sure was wrapped with some white material earlier. It looks extremely bruised and either sprained or broken, but she's not holding it in pain or anything. She sits in the rocking chair across from Alex and I and places a bowl of soup down on the table, and begins eating it.

"What happened to your hand?" I ask.

"Female Titan," she hastily replies. "What happened to your forehead?"

_Huh? My forehead?_

_Oh, wait._

I have a small scar on my forehead from when I fought Ganon that one time when I was an adult.

"People used to pick fights with me."

_And they ended up either being disintegrated out of thin air or being exiled to the Sacred Realm._

After a few minutes, done with her soup, Mikasa asks, "Ready to go?"

"Always."

So we inform our group we're leaving, pack our bags with weapons and equipment, including hookshot gear Mikasa "found," and we're off, heading straight towards Fraternity Rose's local Yarckel base. In the dead of night, even the marketplace is silent, with the exception of that one bar. We follow the path Armin has drawn out for us, constantly checking on our position to make sure we're going in the right direction. After around thirty minutes of travelling, we're greeted by a regular-sized wooden house, with no sign of any FR shenanigans.

"Is this the place?" I ask quietly.

"According to the map, yeah."

"We gonna go in?"

"Well… yes, of course."

"Ok. Go hide behind something, okay? I'm gonna try something. Here, hold my stuff," I tell Mikasa, handing her my gilded sword and other items. She complies, and jogs over to a small hut in the distance and peeks her head out at what I'm doing.

I knock on the worn-out wooden door, followed by a few people shuffling around inside.

"Who the hell is _that_?" I hear someone whisper. After a few seconds, someone cracks the door open, staring me down like I'm thief.

"Who are you?" A feminine voice asks.

"May I speak with, uh, 'Jessica Arrowheart?'"

Silence for a few seconds.

"This is her. What do you want?"

"I'm with Sasha, and we're willing to work something out. Come out here so we can talk about it."

"You being legit?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, hold on."

She slams the door and walks back inside.

After waiting a few seconds I shout, "Mikasa! I need my bow back!"

No response.

"Mikasa!"

_Where the hell did she go?_

I dart over towards she was hiding just a few minutes ago to see nobody there. Assuming she switched positions or is doing something else, I dash back to the FR house and patiently wait for a response.

Five minutes later, I'm still standing there, in the dark of the night, with only a small torch some ways back and the full moon shining from above acting as light.

"Mikasa? Where the hell did you go?" I ask once again, getting no response.

_Crap. Something's gone wrong._

"Hello? Anybody there?" I ask, half-scared, as I rapidly knock on the door. Nobody answers, and after a few more seconds of considering my options, I strike the door with my fist where the lock is, causing it to slam open. That Arrowheart girl is standing there with a bow, aiming it at me. She abruptly releases the string, and the arrow goes halfway through my leg; I fall over to the ground as the girl walks towards me, her saying, "This is what you get, you asshole!" Before bashing some kind of brick against my head.

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

I nervously clutch my scarf, peering at Link from a great distance in the dead of night. I don't know what he has planned, but at least I know I can run over there and save him if anything goes wrong.

He seems confident, though. Ever since I've met him he's seemed confident about pretty much everything. Like when we were both fighting Annie in Ehrmich, and no matter how many times I told him not to fight he just kept going, and he ended up doing better than me.

Still, can't let him get too carried away.

Right now, he's talking to someone, someone that I can barely see. A female, it sounds like. I convince myself he's fine, and begin to observe all of his stuff he gave me.

A patterned yellow and white sword, a big one at that. A regular bow, with quite a few arrows, the arrows varying in size, along with the quiver. I almost pick up his yellow and white sword before a hand reaches over my mouth, with the words "Do not move or I will murder you and your friend."

_You've gotta be freaking kidding me_

_I can't get a break_

I put my hands in the air and stand up as someone else quietly collects all of Link's items and stuffs it into a backpack. "I knew these brats were coming," one of them says. He clutches my arm and turns me around & ties my hands behind my back while someone else points a pistol at my head. Instead of protesting, I decide to stay calm and let them bring me in so I can possibly tell them we're legitimately trying to make a deal.

**. . .**

The wooden house, of course, has more than meets the eye.

Underneath it, there's a full-blown dungeon, like Sasha described there was in Zingi, along with infinite hallways and staircases.

All for the purpose of preventing us from killing titans.

So the men lead me down many, many halls until I'm thrown into one of those dungeons, a small one at that. There's an old, worn-out bed, steel walls blocking my escape from all sides except for the barred door, and chains hanging from the ceiling, probably for the purpose of hanging people.

The men leave without saying a word, like I was just a small problem that was easy to take care of. They slam the door at the end of the hall behind them, followed by absolute blackness with the exception of a small torch in my room, and also absolute silence. I nervously take a seat on the bed, my heart racing, waiting for something to happen…

and then something happens.

"Knock knock, knock knock" on the wall of the cell across from me. The sound echoes throughout the wall, able to be heard throughout the dungeon.

"Knock, knock knock, knock," I hear a second or two later.

_Is this person trying to communicate with me?_

"Knock knock knock"

"Knock knock knock"

"Knock knock," the sounds continues.

Then, it hits me: _morse code._

_Something that we were taught in training in case of emergencies._

_I barely remember any of it, though._

"I don't know that much morse code, sorry," I say to the mystery person out my cell door. I peek my head out and see a barely visible shadow lurking around in the other cell, before it kicks the wall in frustration. "Can't you just talk regularly?"

"Knock, knock"

"Knock, knock, knock," he knocks trying to respond.

_Long, short, pause, long, long, long._

" _No"?_

_SOS is three shorts, three longs, then three shorts, so "O" is three long knocks…_

_Pretty sure he just said no._

After thinking about this way too hard, the door at the end of the hall opens, and I stumble to my feet and jump onto my bed, acting like I'm asleep. I hear the sound of pacing footsteps, rapidly approaching my cell, when they stop. I turn my head to see a person standing in front of my cell, but their back is facing my cell…

"Alright, Lukas, you know the drill," he says, as the person in the cell shuffles around a bit until the FR person enters the cell. I rise from my bed and observe what they're doing in the cell across from me to see what looks like some sort of interrogation taking place.

"I don't have the key that unlocks your mask, so we're gonna have to do this a different way.

"Nod your head for yes, shake it for no.

"First off, that girl in the cell across from you, do you know her?"

He nods. _Huh?_

"Second off, are you ever going to tell me the whereabouts of a 'Lyssa Oechsle'?"

He shakes his head.

The man sighs, and then says, "Well, that's pretty much what I thought, so I'm going to go tell the people that I tortured you and you wouldn't say anything, so, yeah. You owe me one, kay?"

"Alright, Mikasa Ackerman, it's your turn.

"Mind telling me just what the hell _you're_ doing here?" he asks, entering my cell. I place my hands behind my back and try to take a nervous and timid appearance in the hopes of the man letting his guard down so I can possibly escape this damn dungeon.

_**Eren's Point of View** _

I'm sitting on a bench, gazing into the crowd of people walking past me, next to Krista, who's asleep, and is leaning against my shoulder.

" _I'm taking this into my own hands,"_ Levi had told me before he walked away with nothing but a small knife. It's just me and her, trapped in this district under the threat of our lives and our friends' lives.

Levi had also claimed he would kill Annie, along with everybody else involved. I told him he could do whatever he wanted, under one condition.

" _Don't kill Annie. Leave her to me."_

I don't know how, but I'm going to make it out of this place, and kill her just like she killed my fellow comrades.

I hate her. A lot.


	15. Operation Arrowheart, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Italian people and unsatisfied workers.

_**Link's Point of View** _

Apparently, I'm now deemed a "major threat" to Fraternity Rose.

"You now belong to us," they keep telling me, as I'm constantly being passed around the place; cell to cell, interrogation room to interrogation room...

While the pain of the arrow still stuck in my leg is excruciating, it's overshadowed by one thought dominating my mind.

_These guys are clueless._

_They think they have everything handled, and that everything's going according to plan._

_My oh my, are they sadly mistaken._

_These assholes have absolutely no idea who they're messing with._

**. . .**

I'm located in a confined, bland room, handcuffed to a pipe protruding from a wall; across from me is another person, a middle-aged man, by the looks of it, in the same situation as I. There are multiple random objects scattered about the room, like paper clips, scissors, etc. and a large desk over to the right of me.

"You're really going to try and escape?" the man asks, interested yet doubtful of my intentions, as my eyes dart around the room, searching for anything useful. He has short, brown hair, along with a mustache & beard, a torn-up t-shirt, and jeans.

"I'm not going to _try,_ Mr. Crespo, I'm gonna _do_."

"But you can't even stand up."

I look down at the bloody arrow jutting from my upper ankle. _That_ _ **is**_ _true, I guess._

"Hopefully my partner has that portion covered."

"Anyways, uh.. why are you in here, lad?"

"Don't tell them this, but I came here to find intel, and that Jessica girl figured out what was going on before I knew anything was going wrong."

"Hmph. I delivered mail here, and they thought I was a spy or something."

After a few long, boring minutes someone finally approaches the door, unlocks it, and enters, and faces the other man.

"Well, we checked your records, and you're clean; sorry for the inconvenience, we've had some problems lately and we've been taking extra precautions," the FR person (you know what, I'll just call them FRs) tells him as the FR uncuffs him.

 _Dammit, I was really banking on him helping me get outta this hellhole,_ I think, as he slowly stands up and looks the FR in the eye. _Wait, what is he -_

Mr. Crespo punches the FR smack in the forehead, instantly knocking the FR out, sending him to the ground. He turns his head, grinning, and looks at me.

"Now, about that escape plan," he tells me, as he hurriedly uncuffs me, "what ideas did you have in mind, exactly?"

"W-what are… how di - nevermind, but you're gonna have to carry me."

He reluctantly picks me up by my torso, and holds me by his side and sticks his head out the doorway.

"Any bright ideas?"

"Take a left," I say, as the wound on my ankle worsens. _I really hope I can heal this in time…_

"Shit," he says.

"What?"

"Some of those goons are headed straight this way. Can I borrow that arrow?"

"Can you _what?"_

"Shhh! I need the arrow, I have no other weapons."

 _Ahg, I've been through much worse,_ I think, as I reluctantly nod.

**. . .**

"Dude… It hurts! It hurts like _hell,_ dear _Hylia_ I feel like I'm going to hurl…" I whimper, as Crespo pours _alcohol_ on my ankle where he freaking jerked an arrow from. Still, I've been through worse, but this is definitely up there.

"Why are you putting alcohol on this, again? I thought that was some kind of drink…"

"It's both! Using alcohol to heal can go two ways, kid."

We're in some random hallway, and Crespo has one of those blue FR outfits on. A couple of those FR goons walked past us earlier and looked at us weirdly, but nobody bothered to ask any questions.

After a few minutes of letting the alcohol do whatever it's doing to the hole in my leg, he finally says, "Put these handcuffs on so it looks like I'm transferring you somewhere, kay?" I comply, and we begin carefully traversing the facility, hoping to find Mikasa or my items.

"You said you have a partner, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Are we planning on rescuing, uh, said partner?"

"I guess so."

"Hey, you!" a woman shouts from behind us.

_Jessica._

We slowly turn around and face her from across the hall.

"Mr. uh… I can't remember who you are, damn.. What's your name?"

"Jeremiah Castles, madame," he replies, probably thinking of a name off of the top of his head.

"Alright, Jeremy, and please don't call me madame, that's really weird… uh, have you seen Lex?"

"I have not."

"Shit. Kenny?"

"I have not seen him either. I just transferred here from another base."

"Which one?"

"Y'know… our main base."

"Yeah, I figured you'd wanna go here after that titan attacked MH… Also, I have new orders," she tells him, walking towards us and handing him some papers. "Don't let _him_ see them either. How's that arrow, buddy? Oh, it's gone? And you can walk? Well, I'll be damned."

"Anyways, uh… Jeremy, go tell everybody in quadrant A the orders you were handed, kay? Kay. See ya," she orders him, before she turns around and walks away. When Jessica's out of sight, Crespo and I look at each other.

"Well… that just happened. Let's get going, my ankle's killing me," I say. Crespo doesn't seem that affected by my being able to heal faster than the people here.

 _Just wait 'till ya see what I can_ _**really** _ _do, buddy._

We continue searching, walking down multiple hallways and passing through rooms until we eventually come across a room labelled "A". Crespo assumes it's the "Quadrant A" place the Arrowheart girl spoke of earlier, and he comes up with an alternate plan: Give them different orders than what she wanted, in favor of us. We realize we have a huge advantage after we write down the following orders:

QUADRANT A TASKS:

-Retrieve all of the prisoners' belongings and store them in the main room

-Translocate person 'Mikasa' to an alternate dungeon (see Jeremy for which cell)

-Restock the damn bathroom with toilet paper!

-Spend more money on titan research

-Make Lyssa a lower priority, focus on rebuilding

-Figure things out

-Got it?

-Good.

"Who's Lyssa?" asks Crespo.

"This girl who came to my place for help. They hate her."

He enters Quadrant A, and asks for the FR goons in there to pass the paper around, one of them saying, "I'm guessing Jessica wrote this one?" and "Finally, paper towels do _not_ work well." He walks back out ten minutes later, with a smile on his face.

"Our escape is coming along smoothly, kid."

"Good."

**. . .**

"Jeremy!"

"What?"

"Where is this 'Mikasa' located?"

"I do not know."

"I thought you were supposed to know that."

"Well, I don't, and I'm sorry. Figure it out."

"Dammit. Oh, and why the hell is _he_ here?"

I turn my head from the chair I'm sitting in and look back towards the group of FRs and Crespo. A couple of them look at me.

"That's none of your concern," Crespo firmly tells him.

"My _God,_ this group needs reorganization! Ever since Maxus became leader, everything's gone to shit."

The entire room goes silent, and everybody turns their head towards the man.

"Yeah, yeah…I said it. All he fucking does is stay cooped up in his mansion in Merchant's Heaven and _stays there!_ What good has he done to Fraternity Rose? _What has he done to make our guild better?_ All he cares about is taking down Z-Guild, our rival that doesn't do shit to harm us! I mean, they _try_ to, but we've always triumphed! You know why? Because we're fucking awesome! We believe in what we do and that's why we all joined in the first place, right? Who cares about taking down other guilds? _WHO FUCKING CARES ABOUT CITIZENS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HEARD MAXUS'S NAME? OPEN YOUR EYES, PEO-"_

During his anti-"Maxus" speech Jessica walks into the room, loads a handgun, and blows the man's brains out before he can finish.

"Someone mind telling me what the hell is going on here?" she asks, scanning the room until we make eye contact.

"Jeremiah?" she asks, "do _you_ know what's going on?"

"I-I'm not sure, he got into an argument and freaked out."

"Well, he's no longer a problem. Has everybody started on their work?"

_This isn't going to end well._

"Uh, we don't know where 'Mikasa' is, nor do we know where the prisoners' belongings are," a random FR person, a woman, tells Jessica.

Confused, Jessica snatches the paper from the girl, skims it, and glares at Crespo.

"Jeremy, may I have a word?" she asks, stepping outside the room. I catch a glimpse of Jessica reloading her pistol, and Crespo does, too, it looks like. He turns to me, mouths the words "RUN," and strides towards the door.

_That's the only way out of this room, how am I supposed to get out of here?_

"KID, I SAID RUN!" I hear him yell, followed by the sound of a gunshot.

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

I stare down at the man, knocked out and bloodied-up, who just attempted to handcuff me.

"That was _much_ easier than I expected," I say to myself.

_Now, to find Link and his items._

"Knock knock knock knock"

"Oh, shut up, I already told you I don't know morse code."

I loot the knocked-out FR person and find nothing but a few coins and a card with "James Fulkak - interrogation" on it. Then, I open the cell door, grab the circular key-holder key, with one of its keys in the lock, and try to figure out which one is for the mask guy's cell.

"Lukas, right?" I ask him, as I search for key #15, followed by an unenthusiastic knock.

"Does your last name happen to be Abert?"

Silence. Then, he perks his head up and looks at from from the small holes in his metallic mask.

"Girl named Lyssa came to us asking for help, and mentioned a 'Lukas Abert'."

He stumbles over towards the side of the cell closest to me and grabs the bars, excited for some reason.

"Worry not, you'll be reunited shortly. Hopefully."

**. . .**

"These guys' security _sucks,_ " I say, as I traverse the halls alongside Lukas the Masked Man, who now communicates with me using pen and paper. "It's the worst out of all of their branches," he writes before handing the paper to me. The walls are painted a dark blue and the floor is all white, with tiles. Zooming past rooms and slipping past guards come very easily to me, as well as Lukas. _Looks like this guy has some experience with this._

I'm only following Lukas, because he claims he knows where Link's items probably are since he knows the way FR stores prisoner belongings; he's never explored the Yarckel base that much, so he isn't sure, though. He's the only chance I got, so I'm definitely taking it.

"Check this room, I'll be right back" he writes, before running off down the hall. I open the door to the room he's referring to after checking to make sure nobody's in there via the small window in the door.

I'm greeted by shelves of random items, spanning the entire length of the bland and rugged room. I carefully close the door and rapidly begin searching for Link's stuff; there's a ton of belongings placed here, and I can tell that they belong to prisoners by how random they are. Lots of watches, headbands, eyeglasses, silverware, for some reason, a sword, a weird hook-looking contraption - _wait, this is Link's! And that's his sword!_ I grab his sword he's dubbed the "Gilded Sword" by its rugged handle and stuff the hookshot in my pocket, before gathering the rest of his items, such as his bow & quiver.

I hear the sound of footsteps from down the hall, and, assuming it's Lukas, I step on outside to be greeted by someone other than Lukas.

It's the same guy that pursued us earlier. The tall, narrow-eyed guy with handguns, this time with a cowboy hat…

"Well, isn't this my lucky day?" he rhetorically questions me, sauntering towards me. I aggressively place Link's sword up in attempt to sway him from getting any closer, but to no avail.

Loading his pistols, he stares at me from across the bland hall of the FR Yarckel Fortress, with a cocky attitude and a conceited expression.

"Now, I don't know about you, but I remember a certain conversation I had with you, Mikasa Ackerman, and your little anonymous buddy. I told you to give me something, and you failed to give it to me and I deem that unacceptable. You think since this place is weak compared to the others, has untrained soldiers and whatnot you can just waltz in here and try to steal something? Or what is it you were doing here?"

By now, he's circling around me while I'm constantly facing him with the sword; I'm thinking about escaping with the golden contraption Link calls his "hookshot."

_Lukas, Link, somebody, wherever the hell you are, I'm kind of in a bind here…_

"I honestly don't care what you were doing here. Shit, I don't care anything you do, who you are, and even the fact that we share the same last name. What I do care about is that if I tell them you escaped and I brought you back, I get a shit ton of money. And I want that shit ton of money."

_Ackerman…_

_This guy is an Ackerman…_

"You need me alive?" I ask, not knowing the kind of answer I'm going to get.

"Girl, why the hell would they throw a dead person in jail? Yes, I need you alive. Doesn't mean I can't beat the shit out of you until you submit."

"What are you, a mercenary?"

"I guess you could say that."

"KENNY!" someone calls out.

 _Jessica,_ I think, as she paces towards this Ackerman guy.

"Have you seen Link or that Z-Guild asshole? They escaped! And who's thi - oh. Did she freaking escape too?"

She turns back around, frustrated, saying, "Oh my _God,_ Yarckel is the _worst!_ Why the hell didn't we send 'em to, oh I don't know, MH?"

"Stop whining, Jessie! Jee-zus, you complain too much."

"I didn't ask for an opinion, asshole, that's 50 less gold."

She angrily walks off, telling him to "Deal with her," referring to me, I'm guessing. He directs his gaze back to me, immediately pointing both of his pistols at my head.

"Alright, I need to get this done quickly, so if you don't want the bullet, come on."

"How about you step off or I'll slice your throat?"

"Little asshole," he calls me before charging at me whilst rapidly shooting. I shift to the side, luckily dodging everything shot, before he pins me against the wall. _Dammit, he's stronger than me… And nobody's stronger than me._

"You have chosen the bullet."

Right when he unhands my arm to shoot me I slap him in the face before grabbing Link's sword out of my other hand and slash at him with it, sprinting away soon after. I turn right, not knowing where I'm headed, hoping I'll run into a familiar face.

I rush into the nearest room, carefully closing the door after making sure there are none of those annoying FR goons there, then I scan the room for any places to hide or any spots to surprise attack the guy pursuing me. There's a table in the middle of the medium-sized room, as well as a counter behind it; they're both made out of old, rough wood, along with the cabinets as well. I go ahead and sneak behind one of the drawers since it has a giant mirror on top, and attempt to wait the man out.

"You _do_ realize this only means you get _more_ pain for absolutely no gain? I know you know that I'm kind of in a hurry, and I don't appreciate you stretching this out even longer."

I don't make a sound; I make long, soft breaths, and try not to move a centimeter. All I hear are my own thoughts, my breath, and the Kenny Ackerman guy… _Is Kenny his first name? That's what Jessica referred to him as…_

He enters the room across from me, rapidly shuffling around the room in search of me, so I peek my head out to see his position; he's out of my sight. Before seating myself back behind the drawer, I spot Lukas attempting to sneak up on Kenny. He points his palm out at me, probably signaling to not do anything, and then enters the room, leaving my sight.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGG!" I hear Kenny shriek, and I quickly hop up from my spot and rush on over towards him to see a knife dug into his eye by Lukas. He for some reason has his mask off.

I take a good look at him, seeing as his face is completely roughed up, scratched, with multiple scars; he has messy, blond hair, and green eyes; just by glancing in his eyes you can tell he's seen some things… I can't explain it. There's something tortured, yet determined, and his expression backs it up… As he takes the knife out of the man's eye and knocks him out to stop him from being in so much pain, he simply utters a few words:

"I… I thought I told you not to come…"

"S-sorry…"

He doesn't respond; he simply runs off and disappears.

_Hm. Well, that was definitely something._

I brush him off as one of the many people I meet and never see again during my travels, not knowing he will later come back again definitely change things for better or worse.

**. . .**

"Link?"

He's sitting on the ground in the middle of an abandoned hallway with nobody else but this grown man who's bleeding out by the looks of it. He looks up at me with a sad, horror-filled expression, but he's not crying. Probably still in pain, though.

"Are you OK? Who is this?"

"I… I don't know. His name is Crespo, that's all I know…"

"Why are you… What are you doing?"

"He helped me escape and died in doing so, and I barely knew him. Shot by that Arrowheart girl."

"I - I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Do you have my items?"

"Y-yes, I do, here you go," I say, handing him everything I have, starting with his sword.

We must've caused a lot of havoc here because there isn't an FR in sight; only the occasional bloodstain on the wall. When I ask what happened, Link simply says some of the FRs revolted and that's why he's alive. We walk the halls of the place, hoping to find the exit of the Yarckel Fraternity Rose base, which apparently the worst of the bunch. After a few minutes Link returns to his cheery self, nearly unaffected by the death of the man who helped him escape. Almost like it's happened before, and he's used to it. Like Lukas, I notice a certain pain in his eyes whilst walking and talking; a pain hiding underneath all of his happy and optimistic personality.

I don't know who he is, or where he comes from, but I _do_ know one thing.

He yearns for something he can't reach, or has at least seen something a child his age shouldn't have seen. He's a thirteen year old all alone, and what does he do? He helps us take down a larger threat.

"Hey, Link?"

"Yeah?" he replies.

"Thanks."

"For… for what?"

"Helping us when you could be helping yourself."

_**Sasha's Point of View** _

The night Mikasa and Link left was the night I couldn't sleep. I waited, and waited, and waited…

And then they came back. Roughed up a bit, but alive.

Ecstatic, I jump up and hug both of them simultaneously, only to be told that they want to go to bed.

Then, I wake up the next morning to Link, asking me an odd yet interesting question.

"I have a surprise," he tells me, clutching my wrist and leading me across our room in the hotel. In the other bedroom, I see Connie, sitting up, with a wide grin on his face, healthy as can be.

Without asking Link what he did or even thanking him, I rocket towards him and embrace him, extremely happy yet confused at the same time. After hugging him tightly, I look over to Link, and then back at Connie, asking, "How?"

Link holds up a bottle of dense red liquid, the same one he used on himself.

"Sorry I didn't use it sooner," he says, before I hug him, too.

I knew he could do things like this, but I never thought about him using the strange tools he has to solve some of _my_ problems…

"Sasha… You wanna go… do something?" Connie, in a hopeful tone, asks.

"Heh, what do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know, uh…"

"Let's go shoot some arrows!" Link randomly bursts out, knowing that I'm a fellow archer.

"Y'all are going to practice with bows and arrows?" Jean asks as he walks by. "Well, I'm going too."

I look back at Connie.

"Yeah. I'm up for it," I say, quickly followed by Connie nodding in agreement.

**. . .**

"This should be easy," Connie arrogantly claims as he attempts to shoot an arrow at a tree not to far in front of us. He misses by a few meters, and I look at him.

"Don't give me that look! Let me see _you_ do it!" he tells me, chuckling, as he hands me the bow. Immediately, I grab an arrow from my quiver, place it in the bow, pull back the drawstring, and let it fly, hitting the tree spot-on.

Since Yarckel is the eastern district extending off of circular Wall Sina/Mitras, there is no northern exit, only east and west; so, Link took us all over with his golden hookshot. A neat little contraption, that thing is, but not as effective as, say, ODM gear. Gets the job done, though.

I hand the bow back to Connie to allow him to get a feel of how bows work and the technique you use to aim, then direct my gaze to Jean and Link over to the far right of us, shooting at a tree a little further from the District Yarckel wall. Out in front of us stretches yet another field, with a forest a little ways ahead of us, nothing like the forest we fought Annie in that one time… I don't know the name of the field, but what I _do_ know is that we'll definitely be trekking it.

And we have more of our friends, and, more importantly, Link.

_Connie's alive and well, Armin and Alex have a plan, we have an overpowered kid on our team; everything's going well, and now, starting tomorrow, we'll begin our plan to take back Eren and the others from District Utopia. Yeah, it'll all go down well…_

Connie snaps me back to reality after being lost in thought for a moment, pointing at what I first think is the tree we're shooting at; he continues pointing, not looking back at me, frozen… Confused, I stare at the tree, and all around it, until I see it.

A group of regular titans wandering in this general direction, followed by an abnormal sprinting across the field.

* * *


	16. The Problem District

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A district full of problems.

_**Eren's Point of View** _

This week has been one of the worst in my life.

I don't know what's going on.

I don't know who to trust.

Hell, I don't even know if I'll ever see my friends again.

I can't think straight.

I barely eat.

I barely sleep.

I barely have the motivation to look Krista in the eye and tell her everything's going to be okay, because it's probably not.

I've learned they're planning to let titans into Wall Rose, dooming humanity for good.

I've learned two more people I've come to trust are actually something very, very different.

Levi left, I don't know where _he_ is.

Hanji's being escorted somewhere.

I don't even know the whereabouts of Erwin, or any other scouts of that matter.

All I know is that Annie, Reiner, and Bertholdt have both humanity's strongest soldier, Levi, and the only good titan shifter, me, trapped in this "problem district."

That's what they refer to District Utopia as.

The Problem District.

_**. . .** _

I awake one morning, not to loud noises from outside nor people rapidly screaming at me to wake up, but naturally waking up. The atmosphere is peaceful; the room is neat; for once, being in this hell, I feel fine.

Maybe I've gotten used to Utopia. Used to being away from everyone that counts on me, and everyone I count on. Independence is definitely something.

Krista's in the bed beside me, dozed off; I think she barely got any sleep because of what happened yesterday.

" _There's a hole in Wall Rose. Phase two is complete, sir,"_ I heard some man say to another. It had more of an effect on Krista than it did me.

Wall Rose is being invaded by titans and there is _absolutely nothing I can do about it._

The colossal, the armored, and the female titans are alive and there is _absolutely nothing I can do about it._

Levi's going on a suicide mission and there is _absolutely nothing I can do about it._

My friends' lives are at stake and there is _absolutely nothing I can do about it._

The only thing I _can_ do is listen to the harsh orders from _them…_

After convincing myself I'm going insane yet another time I walk outside without waking Krista up. Gazing into the crowd of people ignorant of what's happening around them. Ignorant of the fact that mankind's greatest enemies are walking past them daily.

I take a seat on the bench I've sat on every single day since Annie… Annie _sentenced_ me to this place. There's a large oak tree behind it, and a busy sidewalk in front of it.

I've only seen Bertholdt, not Reiner, and though I don't dare to ask one of those… "Fraternity Rose Utopia Guards," I can't help but wonder where he is, what he's doing…

It was Annie who told me the true identities of Bert and Reiner. I was mute for the entire day, with Krista constantly asking what was wrong. I told her later, and she acted the same.

Krista eventually awakens and sits beside me on the bench, her usual solemn expression reminding me I'm not the only one affected. She's holding two cups of coffee and hands me one without making eye contact.

"Are you… okay?" I ask after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

"What kind of question is that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I - I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Replying like that. No, I'm not okay, and neither are you."

She continues, "And do you know how I know that? Instead of being your usual angry self in bad situations, you're… you're calm. You don't resist or retort those guards and didn't express your hatred towards Reiner and Bertholdt for being… y'know…"

_She's right._

_I haven't been myself ever since I got here._

"You've changed too, Krista." She looks up at me.

"How so?"

"I mean no offense, but instead of your usual, cheery self, you seem withdrawn from everything, and… sassy."

She chuckles.

"You're very observant, Eren."

"Not observant… attentive."

"I'm pretty sure those are synonyms."

"But attentive sounds like the better word."

"If they mean the same thing, then it doesn't matter. Didn't you fail language in training?"

"Touché."

We begin to reach the subject of the military school we all went to, sarcastically talking about the classes we took there and the first time I tried with the ODM gear. Before Annie was the female titan, and how Krista once saw us when Annie totally beat me down… Before Reiner and Bertholdt were the armored and colossal titans… Before _I_ was a titan.

"We were so clueless back then," I say, Krista nodding in agreement.

"By the way," I continue, "is your name spelt with a 'c-h' or a 'k'?"

"With a 'k'."

"Well, Krista with a K, wanna go do something other than moping around on this bench like usual?"

She blissfully smiles.

"Sure, why not?"

**. . .**

"It's weird," I say whilst walking towards the outer wall of Utopia, just now entering the shadow it casts as it towers above the district.

"What's weird?" she interrupts before I continue.

"It feels like we're way far away from the titans, being in a Wall Rose district and all, but… they're just on the other side of that wall."

"Yeah. Feels kind of weird."

There's a manmade river stretching across Utopia all the way to what used to be the wall door, which is now heavily guarded and blocked off. There are stone bridges extending over the river, one every few meters or so, and stairs leading down to it. We're in the more rural part of Utopia; by that I mean there are only houses and even a few small family farms here and there.

"What'd you say you wanted to do here?" she asks.

"I don't know, to get away from the crowd, I guess."

"...that makes sense. Peaceful, isn't it?"

We take a seat beside the river, rushing towards the wall, and we dangle our legs while we look down into the water. The sun, high in the sky; the abundant grass, dominating where concrete & stone are not present; the water, clear as can be, giving us a nearly identical image of the sky above; it really _is_ peaceful here.

"Instead of the bench, let's meet _here_ every morning, okay?" Krista asks.

"Sounds good to me."

 _She's… she doesn't even look scared,_ I think. _A girl such as herself… yeah, she's worried, but at the same time, little by little, each day, she gets more and more confident we'll live through this. On the other hand, I, while I've been seemingly calm, am broken on the inside; I've convinced myself the situation is far too bizarre to comprehend, so my mind goes all whack… I really don't know what to do, and I don't think I can be as confident as her…_

_Yet I'm the one that can transform into a giant, fifteen-meter tall monster._

_She's not doing that thing where it looks like she's forcing herself to smile all the time; I've noticed that quite a few times over the years. This her…_

_...seems more normal, I guess._

"Eren," she says, in a concerned tone, after a few minutes. I turn my head to see her glaring at something… no, someone… in the distance above the other stairwell across the river.

"Is that…"

"It's Reiner," she says under her breath. "Back from Merchant's Heaven."

"Merchant's what?" I ask aloud.

"Eren, be quiet!"

We prop ourselves on the other stairwell after carefully walking across one of the bridges and gaze at him; he's steadily walking towards the wall in the small field out in front of us.

 _The infamous armored titan,_ I think. _Right in our grasp._

_He's the one who broke through Wall Maria._

_And he's just ten meters away from us._

"Eren, what the hell are you doing?" Krista asks as I stand up, glaring at him.

"This is our chance, Krista! He's right there!"

"You don't understand, he -"

I cut her off by beginning to sprint towards him. _He can't fight hand to hand, I can beat him easily…_

"EREN, NO!" Krista screeches as Reiner begins to notice me. He jumps back and takes a defensive position.

"Eren, what the hell do you want? Jeez, you scared me!"

_He doesn't know I know he's the armored titan._

_Good._

"I know you… Reiner…"

"What?"

"You bastard… you think I don't know who you are… _Armored Titan!_ " I scream, as I charge at him and begin combat. He immediately ducks when I swing at him and attempts to counter, but I sidestep and kick him with all of my might on his stomach.

"Who… who told you?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Just please listen… there's a reason -"

"Reason for _slaughtering so many people? WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE EXCUSE FOR THAT, HUH?_ "

"Guys, _stop!_ " Krista screams before she runs in between us, attempting to prevent the inevitable.

Reiner pushes her out of the way and paces towards me, knowing he can't convince me to calm down.

"Don't you _dare TOUCH HER!"_ I scream at him in rage, readying myself to go titan, as is he. I've never seen the armored titan transform, but now I'm guessing I'm about to.

"I'm not going to fight you, Eren! We _need_ to talk!"

" _You_ need to burn in hell!"

"Eren, no," Krista pleads, before I bite down into my hand and lightning strikes down into Utopia.

**. . .**

_**a few years back** _

_It's a bright day outside, and everybody's training hand to hand combat; I'm currently training with Annie, the best of all. We've been doing this for a while now._

" _Ow," I say, as I'm launched onto the ground by Annie, who's teaching me a new lesson today, I think. "Hurts… Annie, can't you be a little gentler? There's that thing called consideration that you, as a human being, are supposed to have, you know…"_

" _I want to throw these words right back at you," she replies, as I begin stumble back to my feet. "It's because you don't hold back when you come at me that the collision is so hard. I only meet you accordingly."_

_She continues, "I'm not nearly as strong as you, though… and anyway, if you consider yourself a man… shouldn't you go easier on this weak body of mine?"_

" _Huh? ...your jokes ain't funny, y'know," I say. "If you're not as strong, then why the heck you're still standing while I'm lying on the ground?"_

" _Well, it's because the technique I used is different from what they teach here. It's not like I threw you using strength. The weak have to resort to using self-protection techniques against those who're stronger than them, you see. It won't hurt for you to know this kind of moves, too," she says, getting into an offensive position like she's ready to strike._

" _Alright, I get it," I say, backing away. "But let's take a little break first, okay?"_

_She charges at me and attempts to land a strike, and when I try to dodge she clutches my torso and body slams me onto the ground, and I instantly feel pain throughout my body. Her arms are tightly wrapped around my neck, and I'm unable to do anything._

" _Annie… I give up. I give up, do you hear…?"_

" _Give up? I don't need you to give up, I need you to learn… how to use your strength… and how to talk to girls."_

" _I-I get it! I've memorized the move, so let me go already!"_

" _Really…? Want to learn more of the same?"_

_What the heck does she mean by tha -_

_Out of nowhere, Reiner comes flying at us, and after Annie quickly hops out of the way he lands right on me._

" _What the heck?" I ask aloud when I see Mikasa, glaring at Annie, approaching us._

" _Hey, Annie… Why don't you teach those moves to me as well?" she asks in a threatening tone._

_Are they gonna fight? They've always hated each other, but I've never seen them fight before..._

" _Well I don't know about that… these moves are intended for humans to use, you see… I don't think someone like yourself needs them at all."_

_She continues, "But… I'm curious if they even work on a beast."_

" _I-is this for real…? At last…"_

_A crowd of our fellow trainees begins to form, also surprised by the fact Mikasa and Annie are gonna fight._

" _Hey, hey… are they really gonna fight it out?" Connie asks._

" _It's like a match-up from a dream," Sasha comments._

" _Which one is gonna take it?"_

_Marco says, "I think it's gonna be Annie," followed by Jean rapidly replying, "HUH?! ARE YOU STUPID?! I BET MY WHOLE DINNER ON MIKASA!"_

_Reiner walks up to me and asks, "Which one would you pick, Eren?"_

" _Huh? Well, I…"_

_They begin to walk up towards each other, staring each other in the eye, before one of them finally takes the first strike._

**. . .**

As the infamous Armored Titan stands before me, a memory floods my mind of a certain person I used to trust, rendering me vulnerable; I come to my senses when Reiner strikes my titan chest and I tumble down into the manmade river, barely missing a panicky Krista.

He's just as I remember him, on that day many years ago…

Gray hair, a bulked-up torso, and a blank expression; an appearance I've despised ever since I've seen it…

"EREN, DON'T DO IT! FIGHTING HIM WON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE!" Krista shouts at the top of her lungs. Ignoring her remark, I stumble back to my feet as Reiner steps towards me, ready to continue the battle.

I then go for a strike, diving at his chest, attempting to knock him to the ground; he clutches my titan head, holding me back, before eventually ripping half of it off, and it crashes back down on the ground. I break my position and grab his armored arms in attempt to knock him off of me, and that succeeds, and then I swing at him with all of my might, landing on his head.

The hand I used to punch his head goes flying off, and he's unaffected.

_Impenetrable armor._

He just stands there, with that bland expression, waiting for another attack he can counter. Suddenly, the memory comes back to me, whenever Annie was about to fight Mikasa that one day when Annie was teaching me that punch, throw, and lock move…

_So, in the end… Which one of them won, again…?_

_No, wait… Why am I remembering this now, out of all times? Oh well. Whatever, I guess. No use mulling over it,_ I think.

_I feel like shit anyway._

After waiting a bit longer Reiner finally charges at me, and I clutch his arm, lock onto his torso and body slam him onto the ground.

_I've got you now, Reiner…_

"EREN, STOP!" a familiar voice calls out.

_Bertholdt. Colossal Titan._

"LET GO OF HIM!" he screeches, as he walks into view along with a crowd of other people, with these harpoon-looking deals.

I don't comply..

"Alright, guys, pin him down, if you will."

The blue-shirted people simultaneously hurl the harpoons at different parts of my body, exploding on impact; my grip on Reiner is immediately broken. _Dammit!_ Reiner abruptly escapes in his titan form, stands up, and crushes my other hand, rendering me unable to do any harm. They throw the lightning-harpoons at my eyes, and then I turn half-blind, and I realize I've lost.

However, that's before something peculiar happens.

A small, yet agile titan appears in the distance; a titan shifter, by the looks of it. It sprints in my direction, and hops over me and onto the Armored Titan, and he crashes down into the ground. Krista for some reason runs towards the scene as the unknown titan shifter slashes at Reiner as the blue-shirts and Bertholdt look on in awe. It has shaggy, brown hair, is very short, and has an ugly-looking face; I see all those things once one of the blue-shirts rip my human body out of my titan's nape.

"KRISTA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I shout out at her as she stands before the two titans battling it out, her gaze fixed on the new titan that just appeared. She turns her head and stares at me for a second, deep in thought, and looks back at the fight, just as the new titan - _I'll call it the Dancing Titan, because of the way it moves -_ gets thrown off of Reiner, and crashes onto the wall. Then, the guards firmly turn my weak body around and drag me across the grass, away from the scene.

**. . .**

_Knock knock knock,_ I hear abruptly amidst the silence of the cabin I'm in.

I carefully hop off of the bed, and onto the rugged carpet above the creaky, wooden floor, before opening the door to see exactly who I've been wanting to see.

Krista Lenz.

I allow her in the place, and she takes a seat on a recliner in the corner of the house; no words are spoken, even though speaking with her is the only thing on my mind.

It's only been a few hours being stuck in this cabin the Fraternity Rose people provided me with; _how nice of those bastards,_ I think.

"The titan…" she murmurs suddenly. I perk my head up and gaze at her concerned face when she continues speaking.

"The… it… the titan, I… I know who it is."

Bewildered, I lean in closer, my feet dangling off the side of the tall bed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ymir… it's her. She's a titan, and she came to save me - us, I mean."

_Ymir?_

_No, she isn't. If she was, that girl would've told us already._

_Or did she just gain those powers?_

"I don't… I don't understand. Ymir?"

"Yes! I haven't known for that long, but I was supposed to be the only one! They have her locked up somewhere in this district."

"Are you saying…?"

"I'm saying she's our only chance of escape that we've got."

Her voice takes a more serious tone suddenly, saying, "We leave at the crack of dawn," as she hands me a small knife. Looking at the reflection of the surprised expression on my face, I tell myself things are probably about to get a lot worse in the Problem District.

_**Levi's Point of View** _

"Eren, Krista, I'm sorry… but I must leave. I'm taking this into my own hands," I tell them, as their already depressed expression begins to appear even more solemn.

"It… it won't be any good if I explain now, it's just… ah… they've got Hanji, okay? I think I might know where Erwin is, too…"

"Then bring us with you!" Eren shouts, angry. "Why would you just _leave us here?_ "

He continues, "Agh… you know what? Fine. Do whatever you want, I don't give a shit. Just don't kill Annie. Leave her to me."

**. . .**

I've memorized the guards' routines around this district. It's one of the main things I've been focusing on ever since Annie - ever since…

_I don't really know how I arrived here, to be honest._

I journey across Utopia; the sky's partly cloudy, the atmosphere is dark and gloomy, and I can't take two steps without being in some kind of puddle - it rained not too long ago. The sky's pretty clear, at least, though the sun is in an undesirable position; every time I look up it blinds me for a split second.

All I have is a knife, a small one at that; I'm not sure if I'm going to use it, and I'd rather not to. I just want to make the rest of this quick and painless.

_Quick. Painless._

_Words I've never imagined to be in the same sentence._

I eventually reach a place I've learned to be familiar with, including but not limited to guard routines (of course), the attitude people have towards one another (hostile), the different shops and such, and the shady atmosphere. It feels like an entirely separate district even though it's near the center of Utopia; it feels more like the city of Merchant's Heaven than a northern Wall Rose district. I've only been to MH a few times quite the time ago, but I remember that town clearly.

I saw Hanji be taken here in a carriage, and I haven't seen the same carriage leave; therefore, this is the place I need to stay. It's dirty, feels unwelcoming, but it might just be the best chance I've got.

"Captain Levi?" someone asks aloud. "Is… is that you?"

I reluctantly turn my head to see a man… a man I haven't seen in awhile.

"Victor…"

_He looks less roughed-up, and more… more sophisticated than when I last saw him._

He still has his shaggy, orange hair, his freckled face and his light beard; however, he has nice clothes, actual shoes, and seems like he knows what he's doing. We take a seat on the nearest torn-down bench, and begin talking.

He starts, "It's been… what, five, seven years?"

"Six."

"...yeah, yeah."

"Victor Rothenstein. What brings you to Utopia?"

"Curiousity."

"I'm here looking for someone."

"That sounds more like a job for a Military Policeman. I thought you'd be, y'know, slicing the napes off of titans."

I sigh.

"And Erwin's here too, strange to see you not walking by his side pretty much all the time. You know where he is? I've only seen him, not talked to him," he continues.

"You _what?_ "

"Huh?"

"Erwin is one of the people I'm looking for. You say you've seen him here. Elaborate."

"You're definitely hot on his tracks… I saw him walking around with a few of those guards a few hours ago. Who else are you looking for?"

"Hanji."

"Is she in trouble?"

"Possibly. Victor, _where is Erwin?_ "

"Ah, Goddammit, Levi, stop always pulling me into your shit all the time! Follow me."

He hops off the bench and sprints through the giant puddles, the water splashing all over his semi-fancy clothes, not caring a bit about it. I hurriedly follow him as he makes his way throughout this portion of Utopia. I used to see him as much as Hanji and Erwin until the falling out, and for the first time _I'm_ following _him…_

_**Link's Point of View** _

I'm running. Running fast, probably faster than I've ever ran in my life.

I'm running down the streets of Yarckel in panic, trying to send an important message as quickly as possible.

"ARMIN!" I scream when I catch sight of him, Mikasa, that kid Alex, and Ymir in the marketplace.

"Link - what is it?"

"Titans," I say, panting, "titans… they've… _they've broken into Wall Rose!_ "

Bewildered, Armin replies, "No… are you serious? If they are…"

"Humanity is doomed."

"HEY, YOU!" someone shouts. It's that Arrowheart girl, Jessica, with a few other FR goons.

"We've been looking for you all morning! Do you realize how much trouble you're in? You too, Mikasa!"

"I don't freaking care right now! There are _titans_ in Wall Rose! We don't have time for your nonsense!"

"T-titans? You're joking, right?"

"I _am not_ joking! Don't be a jerk, just go alert everyone else!"

"I need proof, small child!"

"Go look for yourself! As I said, I don't have time for your nonsense, Arrowheart!"

The word spreads around like a very contagious disease, and slight unrest erupts into absolute chaos, and the people of the district look towards Fraternity Rose and the other orange-suited guards for help. _They think they're the good guys?_

_Damn._

"Link!" Mikasa shouts, grabbing my hand, "Where are the others?"

"They're all outside the wall! I gave them my hookshot to climb up, I'm sorry, I panicked!"

"We have to go get Lyssa!" I plead.

"LYSSA?" Jessica says out of nowhere, still in our general area. "I fucking knew it! Kid, come with me," she angrily tells me.

" _Do not touch him,_ " Mikasa threatens her, pointing her ODM gear sword in her face as Jessica backs away.

"LINK!" Armin yells, running over towards me and Mikasa. "We have to leave, _now_."

"How? The ti-"

"I know, that's exactly why we must leave. Alex agrees. If our plan is going to work we can't wait these titans out. Go! Go for the Scout HQ! You said you can travel there fast, then do it! We'll all be going for Utopia."

"It's just going to be Link?" Mikasa questions.

"It's not a hard task but it's an important one! If anybody of importance is there this is the time we need them; maybe even gather scouts to help fight against the shifters."

 _It's time,_ I think.

_Goron Mask time._

After grabbing the mask along with some other items, and entrusting the rest of my items to my new friends, I find the exit of District Yarckel before it's closed down and place the mask on my face. Excruciating pain I feel, then suddenly I'm a Goron.

 _I don't have my hookshot,_ I think.

_But there's no time to get it._

_Get there, see what's there, get back. Simple, right?_

I convince myself it'll be an easy "fetch-quest," and that it won't be nearly as hard as traversing Wall Maria as a Goron, not knowing not only that is false but a certain shadowy figure would be following my path.


	17. Forest Cantavia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Distractions and failed plans.

_**Link's Point of View** _

I don't have a hookshot; therefore, I have no way to kill titans. At least not easily.

I guess that's not _that_ bad. Gotta focus on the task at hand, can't get distracted by those giant beasts. As I rocket through the field, not yet spotting any titans, I begin to wonder how things are going back in Yarckel - if they've escaped yet, if FR is giving them trouble, if one of them's already died to the titans…

My thoughts are interrupted by the sight of something I've been dreading.

It's a freakin' titan. Multiple titans. They're in a tight-knit group, and they're about medium-size; one looks like an old man with a gray beard and one has a full-blown brown mustache. _Hm. Weird._

_I can still kill these guys. I just have to get a jump start…_

A brief moment after that thought I spot a pond a little to the left of the titan group, and an idea comes to mind: _Zora Mask._ I haven't used that (nor have I used the Deku Mask) since I've been in this universe. I'm going to zoom as fast as I can towards the pond whilst also aiming at the titans, jump and switch my mask to a Zora mask, hop out of the water as high as possible while simultaneously turning back into my Hylian self, and hopefully striking one of the titans' napes.

So I rush forwards, and then turn at a sharp angle, aligning myself with the large pond and the ever-slow moving batch of titans, and commence my plan; immediately before reaching the pond I gracefully hop my Goron body into the air, take off my Goron Mask then switch into a Zora, perfectly dive into water, still travelling at incredible speeds, point towards the surface and zoom into the air, transform back into a Hylian while also grabbing my blade and head straight towards a titan's nape.

Right before I slice the nape, in mid-air, my sword is knocked out of my hand and launched several meters to the right of me, and upon turning my head left I'm struck by a boot, sending me down along with my sword. I crash onto the ground to see Shadow Link landing beside me.

_That asshole just knocked me out of mid-air, the hell? Where'd he learn that?!_

"Are you serious? What the hell-agh, dammit!" I say, frustrated, holding the aching shoulder that struck the ground first. One of Shadow Link's hands is behind his back, and the other is holding his Dark/Shadow whatever Gilded Sword towards me. Upon stumbling back to my feet he reveals what he's holding behind his back: _My Zora Mask._

"Hey! Uh, that's - that's mine! What's your problem with me?"

He doesn't move an inch as I continue to plead.

"Seriously! I'm kind-of on an important mission, and you're _not_ helping!"

He sheathes his sword and places _my_ Zora Mask in his dark-tunic pocket; then, he holds his right hand up, the back of it facing me, and his dark/shadow whatever Triforce is glowing… _Resonating._

I look at my Triforce on my left hand to see it resonating, as well.

_This is getting weird._

As the titans inch closer and closer, I decide to hop forward, hoping he's distracted, and try to snatch back my mask. He shifts left and counters by reaching for _my_ Goron Mask, but he doesn't take it…

Instead, a dark version of the Goron Mask forms out of thin air; following that, he places it on his face, transforms into a dark Goron, and rolls in the opposite direction. I pick up my sword, sheathe it, and watch him in the distance as he gradually rolls out of my eyesight.

"No," I say to myself.

"This isn't gonna happen."

I transform into a Goron, angry, and begin following his path as we make our way towards a giant forest looming in the distance. Upon speeding up beside him, he swerves in front of me, which ends up being a mistake on his part as he gets launched ways in front of me after my Goron body strikes him. I zoom ahead, targeting Shadow Link in Goron form, and simultaneously switch into a Hylian and hop in the air and perfectly land in front of the shadow. He transforms into his regular self as well.

We're at the entrance of the giant forest, its trees towering above us like we're tiny insects; Shadow Link's back is facing the forest while it's dominating my eyesight, looming behind the troublemaking, shadowy entity. He's ready for anything, and knows my tactics, strategies… well, not _all_ of them.

Oddly enough, after appearing as if he's about to strike at any second he sheathes his sword and lets his guard down; confused, I retain my position - sword out, defensive stance.

_What are you up to, shadow…_

He turns at a 90 degree angle, and then points his hand out at the forest. The shadow looks back at me, like he's expecting me to do something.

"What? What are you doing?"

I continue, "I don't understand."

He shakes his head in a frustrated way before transforming back into a Goron, rolling off towards the forest - _Cantavia, I think it's called?_ I do the same, and begin further pursuing this strange entity.

**. . .**

_This is one big forest,_ I think. _I've been rolling behind Shadow Link for a good ten minutes and there's no sight of the exit._

Shadow Link hasn't attacked me at all; instead, he maintains a steady speed whilst rolling, just slow enough for me to keep up but fast enough that I can't catch him. The trees, as I roll by them, get darker and darker, and the interior of the forest steadily gets more eerie by the minute.

_Maybe he wants to show me something._

Amidst the spooky forest, the shadow abruptly transforms back to a (shadow?) Hylian, tumbling onto the forest floor before I do the same; interested in what he might have to show me, I don't attack him. Though I _do_ want my mask back, I can probably retrieve it later.

"Whaddaya got for me, Mr. Shadow Link?"

He does the same thing where he turns sideways and point his hand out in the opposite direction; this time, he's right in front of what is probably the darkest part of Forest Cantavia, and apparently wants me to go there.

"Nope. This is a trap, isn't it?"

He shakes his head.

_He answered a question I asked!_

_This is what I call progress._

"You go first."

He nods, then slowly walks into the blackness, and before entering it he stops, shuffles in his pocket, and throws my Zora Mask onto the ground. A few seconds later I eagerly, blindly follow him after picking up my mask.

 _Where is he?_ I think. _I can't see anything except the dim lighting coming from the tree & leaf dominated sky above me. _Upon thinking that thought a lantern is lighted, revealing its holder, Shadow Link.

 _Friends?_ I think.

He shakes his head. _Did he just read my thoughts?_

_Whatever._

After a few more minutes of traversing the giant, dark forest we reach a large boulder with strange markings on it. My triforce, which has been resonating ever since I've been following Shadow Link, suddenly starts resonating stronger, and only one thought comes to mind.

_This has something to do with Hyrule._

He slightly turns his head after that thought, and then continues moving before the boulder's right in front of us. He places the lantern down by the large rock and looks at me.

"What?"

He motions his head towards the rock.

"What do you want me to do?"

He takes his right hand, the hand with his dark-triforce, and places it on the boulder. _Is that what I'm supposed to do?_

I walk towards the boulder and place the back of my left hand on it, when I'm blinded by some kind of light.

_I'm…_

_I'm…_

_I'm in Hyrule._

_Hyrule Field, to be exact._

_I gaze off into the distance to see the familiar sight of Death Mountain, and the vibrant, cloudy blue sky surrounding it._

_I then look around myself, seeing the medium-length grass, stretching in every direction until Lon Lon Ranch comes into view. That place looks exactly the same; I wonder if the people who lived there still do..._

_Malon… I wonder what she's doing right now..._

_Off to the right in between Death Mountain and Lon Lon Ranch is the unforgettable sight of Hyrule Castle, except… except… what the hell?_

_The entire top portion of the castle has been blown off. The wooden gate leading inside it is destroyed and the entire exterior looks roughed up. These strange guards wearing purple-ish armor are guarding it. Something's gone wrong._

_I try to sprint forward, but to no avail… I'm guessing I'm not actually in Hyrule but I'm just able to see what's going on._

_What happened in Hyrule while I was gone?_ I think, as I come back to my real senses, gasping for air beside Shadow Link, with his sword unsheathed.

"What are you… what… what are you doing?" I ask him.

"WHAT HAPPENED IN HYRULE AFTER I LEFT?" I yell, as I begin to get bewildered and angry.

"YOU KNOW, DON'T YOU?! YOU WANTED TO SHOW ME!"

He slowly backs away before transforming into a Goron, zooming in the opposite direction.

_No. He's not getting away._

Furious, I transform into a Goron and begin pursuing him, speeding throughout the forest. I've lost all sense of direction, but at this point all I care about is Shadow Link, and what's going on in my homeland.

_Okay, I don't have my hookshot, but I do have my Goron Mask, Zora Mask, a bit of healing potion, and my bow & arrows; that's it, though. _

_I can do this._

A few minutes into the chase I notice a river beside me and decide to use it to my advantage; so, I hop into the air, switch into a Hylian, then Zora, and dive into the river, conveniently flowing in the desired direction. I start catching up with Shadow Link, who, in his Goron form, is speeding beside the river. I swim a bit in front of his position and jump out of the river and back into the dark forest and he quickly swerves in the opposite direction, and I transform back into a Hylian as I'm launched towards a tree; I plant my sword inside of it and hang there for a moment, watching the shadowy figure roll away.

_I'm not done yet._

I turn back into a Goron and begin following his path at high speeds, constantly twisting and turning towards the direction he's going; I can't catch him, and the fact that he's barely visible in this dimly lit environment doesn't help. Hoping he'll eventually give up or do something wrong, I continue the pursuit.

And just that happens: he does something wrong. Thinking I'll keep rolling past him, he transforms back to a Hylian and hookshots a branch above him when I jump into the air as high as possible, simultaneously turning back into a Hylian, and drive my sword into the branch he landed on and hang there.

 _Didn't jump high enough,_ I think, as he stands on the branch, looking at me from above while I hang by my sword. _I should've thought this through._

He kicks me square in my face, sending me down onto the ground, along with my sword I was clutching onto for dear life. He lands beside me before I stumble to my aching feet.

_Good thing that wasn't a long drop, or else I would've been done for…_

He stares at me for a brief moment before sprinting away, when I say, "Wait!"

He stops, but doesn't look back at me.

"Please, I just want to know. Hyrule. What's happening in Hyrule?"

He slightly turns his head and digs into his pocket; excited, I stand back up, expecting for him to show me something. Instead, he pulls out a dark deku nut and fiercely tosses it in my direction, blinding me for a few moments. Once I regain my ability to see he's gone, and it's just me in this spooky, dark forest.

**. . .**

_Utopia is the northernmost Rose district._

_The Scout HQ is to the far west of Utopia, and far north of Forest Cantavia, which is in the mid-west._

_Around the Scout HQ are the towns of Kravin and Scintill, and east of that is Misery Hills._

_And…. that's all I've marked on my map in the western section._

I'm sitting against a giant tree in Forest Cantavia, studying the map I've been working on, desperately trying to regain my sense of direction… It's not going so well.

_The boulder… Maybe that could help? I was entering this forest from the east coming from Yarckel and travelled west with Shadow Link until we came across the boulder…_

_But this forest is so big it'd take days to find it._

_Come on, Link! People are relying on you to pull through!_

Frustrated, I stuff my map back in my tunic pocket and get back on my feet, staring off into the woods surrounding me. It's not nighttime; in fact, I don't even think it's noon yet. I left Yarckel about an hour and thirty minutes ago, but it feels like I've been lost in this forest forever.

It doesn't feel anything like the Lost Woods. I felt… safe there. Ironically, for me, it was impossible to get lost in the Lost Woods, instead it felt like I could wander there for hours and still know my way back. Now… I really _do_ feel lost. I mean, if I just go one direction for a little while I'll eventually find my way out but I need to go north, and I don't know which way north is…

_Navi… Navi was the one who guided my through the Lost Woods. I never got lost because of her, that trusty fairy, and now I have nobody to guide me…_

_I can guide myself. I don't care. I'm fine._

_I'll just travel around until it comes to me. Maybe I'll stumble across the boulder, and then I'll know where to go._

_I got this._

I transform into a Goron and start rolling at a steady pace, not extremely fast but not slow either. I keep an eye out for the boulder and any other sort of clue as I make my way throughout Forest Cantavia.

While I'm rolling I notice a certain figure standing on a branch in a tree; I see it for a split second before it's out of view. I come to a halt and transform back into a Hylian.

"Who's there?" I ask, ready to unsheathe my Gilded Sword.

No response. I step forward a bit and peer at the tree I saw the figure standing on; nobody's there. I notice a worn-down flute over to the right of me.

_Who is… what?_

_Must be my imagination,_ I think, before transforming back into a Goron and continuing my search.

_**Armin's Point of View** _

As Link, the kid who is now a giant monster, rolls off and out of Yarckel, I realize we're going to be on our own for a bit.

"Alex, are you sure you want to come with us?"

"...those bad people in this district know I'm with you guys, right? If so, yeah, I need to come with."

_The only ones with ODM gear are Mikasa and Ymir… and they're both low on gas. If we leave, we may be eaten by titans, but if we stay, Fraternity Rose will definitely come after us and we'd also be abandoning Link…_

"Okay, Alex, I need you to find everybody and tell them to meet up here as soon as humanly possible."

"Kay."

_Sasha… where's Sasha?_

I sprint north through Yarckel, passing by the marketplace, until I eventually reach the wall. The citizens of Yarckel are just now realizing titans are inside Wall Rose and are in a panicky state; that doesn't help with me trying to find my friends. A figure appears on top of the wall - no, two figures - and I see who they are: Jean, who's holding Link's hookshot, and Sasha.

"JEAN!" I yell as loud as possible. He notices me.

"WHERE'S CONNIE?"

"STILL BEHIND THE WALL, I'VE GOT HIM!"

He jumps back off the wall and appears with Connie a few moments later. I'm filled with relief. The three climb down and walk towards me.

"Armin, there's… ti-"

"I know, Sasha, and I know what we're gonna do."

"What's that?"

"We're going for Utopia _right now._ "

"WHAT?" Jean shouts. "Do you have a death wish, Armin? There's _no way in hell_ I'm going out there, let alone WITHOUT ODM GEAR!"

Connie speaks up, "I agree with Jean, this is a horrible plan!"

"If we don't go _now_ it'll be too late! Fraternity Rose are here and are ready to take us down despite everything else happening, and I'd rather not let them mess with us even more. Come on, guys!"

"Armin's right," Sasha says. "We've got Link and Mikasa, they'll keep us safe, right?"

"Link… I sent Link to Scout HQ."

Sasha's expression changes, like she's forcing herself to appear hopeful.

"But… Mikasa? She can.. She'll… I can't… I can't do this, Armin! I'm… I'm scared."

"ARMIN!" Alex shouts from behind. I swivel around to see him, Mikasa, Ymir, and Lyssa.

"I'm here! Are we going?"

"No," Jean tells him. "It's too dangerous."

"WHAT? Armin?"

"These three don't wanna go," I tell him.

Mikasa steps forward and gazes at the wall.

"We're going," she claims. "At least _I'm_ going. So unless you want to stay here and be a coward, I'd suggest you to get going."

"Mikasa…" Jean says to himself. "Alright, fine."

"Sasha?" I ask. "Are you coming?"

"I-I don't know! I don't know what to do, I… I don't wanna stay here but I don't wanna leave, and -"

"Sasha! You will be fine, and I will make sure of that. I want you to trust me and trust that we'll get to Utopia in one piece."

She thinks for a moment, and then calms down.

"Alright, let's do this. Where are the horses?"

**. . .**

We stole some random horses from random people and also borrowed Epona; now, we're ready to go. Sasha's got her bow, Mikasa and Ymir have their ODM gear (low gas, though), and I have my wit. Oh, and, Jean's carrying Link's stuff.

As we make our way toward the western Yarckel exit, a familiar voice calls out: Jessica Arrowheart. I can't make out what she's saying, but it probably has something to do with us. I slightly turn my head, seeing all of my friends on their horses; they all look determined, but a little frightened at the same time. Sasha looks the most scared and Mikasa the most determined. Then, I notice there's one person we're missing: Lyssa.

Her figure, standing at the gate off of her horse for some reason, catches my attention. Before I can react in any way an arrow flies out of nowhere, and speeds through her head; she falls to the ground a few second later.

_Oh, no..._

Mikasa notices Lyssa's undoing and says, "Don't go back! There's nothing we can do!"

I stare at her limp, motionless body as it gets further and further away, as I travel further and further into what is now titan territory…

A few minutes later, I'm back to focusing on the task at hand. We're still pushing north at full speed, as luckily we haven't encountered any close titans yet. There's a few off in the distance to the east of us, but they aren't a problem. _Honestly, this is going better than I expected,_ I think.

_There's even an 11 year old kid travelling with us on what Jean thinks is a suicide mission. That, to me, seems about as strange as all of the weird powers Link has._

Alex speeds up a bit and slows down once he's beside me, and asks, "Do you have a map?"

"No, but I know where we're going."

"We should still be aware of the towns and towers nearby to use as a vantage point in case things go to hell."

"Trust me, Alex. I know, and I agree, so trust me."

"Alrighty then."

Wall Sina is still barely in view over to the right; as is District Orvud, the north Wall Sina 're headed northeast currently, mainly north, though. Up ahead will eventually be what is known as Misery Hills, a generally very hilly terrain. And then after that… _District Utopia._

Titans come into view eventually, and they're right in our path. I look over to Mikasa and Ymir, both of which whom nod their heads, signifying they'll take them out. They charge forward, ahead of the rest of the group, before jumping off of their horses and latching onto the titans with their ODM gear hooks. They swerve around in the air, avoiding the titans' hands and mouths; Mikasa kills the first one, Ymir the second, and also the third. The two girls hop back on their horses and we continue to push north.

"Armin, I'm out of gas," Mikasa tells me as she speeds up to my position.

"You are?"

"Yes, and I'm pretty sure Ymir is almost out as well. We can't risk taking out more titans, so we'll have to avoid them."

_Well, that was a major setback._

_If all goes to hell, there's a certain castle somewhere in the middle of Misery Hills and District Orvud… I'll keep that in mind._

Thirty minutes pass. We've avoided all of the titans we've encountered, and all of Wall Sina is out of view. It's just us, and the half-rugged field surrounding us. It's still morning, so we'll probably be in Utopia by sundown at the latest; hopefully Link will arrive there in time, maybe even bringing along some help from Scout HQ.

An hour passes. Nothing's changed, except the field is gradually getting bumpier and it's harder to maintain complete control over our horses, but we're getting along.

Two hours pass. The castle tower I referred to earlier is in sight, and we're currently in Misery Hills. Sasha's asked me if we could take break and eat lunch, and Mikasa doesn't want to stop for _anything._ Jean's said a couple of things about how this is going better than expected, and Alex has rambled on about random subjects a couple of times. Connie's tried comforting Sasha a few times and also striking up regular conversations; Ymir hasn't said a word.

 _Ymir is a quiet person,_ I think. _But she always looks like she has something on her mind._

"Armin," Mikasa says, grabbing my attention. I look back at her to see her concerned expression.

"Yes?"

"There's an abnormal titan east of us, do you see it?"

I turn my head in that direction to see a tall titan, probably thirteen to fifteen meters, making its way towards our position; it's running in a really strange fashion… probably the reason Mikasa thinks it's an abnormal.

"If we keep going, it probably won't be a problem," I tell her.

When I look back ahead of me I notice a small batch of titans hanging around the castle-tower, four to be exact. The tower's made out of gray brick, is about 25 meters high, and has a large room extending off of it. Good vantage point.

"Guys, titans from the west!" Jean points out. I look right and see five titans coming straight for us.

 _Where did_ _**they** _ _come from?_

They all close on our position fast; frightened by their sudden appearance, I say, "Head for the tower! We'll stay in there and figure things out!"

Everybody complies, and we all arrive at the castle-tower and open the large wooden door and lead our horses inside. Jean, who looks really worried, puts a thick wooden plank across the door, which is most likely used to lock the door.

The tower is old, roughed-up, and seems as if it's been here for centuries; it's still standing, though. There are wooden crates filled with miscellaneous objects scattered about, rotten food in containers, and a few bows & arrows lying against a wall. There's a circular stairway leading to the top floor of the tower, and upon walking up said stairs I realize how dire of a situation we're in.

About ten titans have surrounded the tower, pushing it, pulling it, grabbing through the windows, and none of us have the capability of killing any of them. Upon closer inspection I notice a few really small titans, of the 3 meter size, walking about.

_These titans know we're here and are possibly trying to get inside._

Suddenly, the ground shifts forward and I almost go tumbling off the edge; something has just bashed against the other side of the tower. I run to the other side to see the abnormal titan from earlier, who looks as if it's raging furiously.

"What are we gonna do, Armin?" Jean questions. "You said there'd be no problem, so how are we going to get outta _this_ mess?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought of anything yet," I reply, staring down at the titans below.

"We can't sit around and wait for something to happen."

"I know that, I just… I just…"

The faint sound of banging on a wooden object distracts me from the conversation before realizing it's a titan, striking the wooden door. I rush downstairs to see the wooden plank already starting to crack.

"How does it know this is the way in?" Alex asks, scared. He's never been in a situation like this.

"Armin, you've been leading us so far, what do we do?" Sasha asks.

"I don't know! I-I don't…"

"Everybody upstairs! Ymir and I have a plan!" Mikasa abruptly shouts. I give her smile as I walk past her as thanks. _Whew._

Mikasa climbs up the circular stairs with a sort-of angry expression; then, she stands up top of the edge of the tower and looks down on the titans. The sun is still rising from the east, its rays glaring down on us, and the sky is almost clear; the sound of titans making strange noises is all I hear.

That changes when Mikasa says, "This is going to be risky but it might just work. I'm going to jump off of here and act as bait to attract the larger titans away from the tower, and Ymir will kill the smaller titans that are currently breaking the door; then, you all will hop on the horses, pick me up, and we'll be out of here. Got it?"

Everybody, almost in a reluctant fashion, nods.

"And Sasha can use her bow in case something goes wrong with Ymir - wait, where's Sasha?"

I turn my head, seeing Jean, Alex, Ymir, and Connie - no Sasha.

"She's downstairs," Alex says. "I told her to -"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" a feminine voice shrieks.

_Sasha?_

Alex zooms downstairs before any of us do; once I make my way to the first floor I see it flooded with 3 & 4 meter titans. Sasha's cornered by all of them; all she has to defend herself is an arrow. I sprint as fast as I can towards her position while looking back at Mikasa and Ymir; Mikasa's rushing downstairs along with me, but Ymir's still upstairs for some reason.

A titan reaches for Sasha and grabs her by the face; Mikasa slices that titan's arm off instantly. Alex grabs Sasha by her arm and pulls her, but she doesn't move; _she must be in shock,_ I think _._ I attempt to help Alex as Mikasa hands Connie her other blade and they both try to take the three-meters on; Jean's using Sasha's bow. More titans, some as big as five meters, begin flooding the first floor and our group is quickly overwhelmed.

_I'm sorry… I'm so sorry..._

I decide to rush upstairs, leaving everybody behind. I look back at Sasha, who's just coming back to her senses, and Alex is the only one protecting her. I'm filled with guilt, but I know I can't die now. The titans push further inside as the larger ones are striking the tower; Alex, pulling Sasha with all his might, finally gives up, and starts crying.

_No. I can't do this._

"Armin, what are you doing? Help me!" Alex shouts, trembling.

"Sorry, I was trying to get Ymir. Come on, we have to get Sasha upstairs!" I say, lying about my past intentions, as I help Sasha get back to her feet. The rest of the group are pushed back until they eventually find themselves slicing at the titans from the stairway; Alex, Sasha and I are still downstairs. The titans direct their attention towards us, and one thought comes to mind: _Eren._

_We won't be able to save Eren if this continues… if I die…_

Alex lets go of Sasha and jumps forward at the closest titan, swinging at it in a blind rage; it bites his entire arm off. He screams in agony as I pull him back. We're cornered into the wall that has a bunch of bows and arrows; Sasha and I grab an arrow and slice at the titans, my arm feeling weaker and weaker every time I swing…

"Armin," I hear someone say. It's Ymir, standing on the stairs beside everyone else, who's all looking on in horror at the scene.

"I'm sorry I didn't do this sooner. And I'm sorry for what comes after."

_What?_

"And remember: this wasn't for your sake."

She bites her finger and jumps down into the first floor; lightning abruptly strikes through the tower and a medium-sized, jockey-looking titan forms amidst the chaos taking place.


	18. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang finally gets to the gates of doom.

_**Ymir's Point of View** _

_I remember when I was a titan._

_I mean, I don't actually remember that much of it, but what I do tells me it was an endless nightmare._

_No, I wasn't a titan shifter. I was a mindless, flesh-eating monster roaming around with other mindless, flesh-eating monsters. For decades._

_At one point I came across a group of three men and ate one of them; somehow, this turned me back into a human. I had nobody to turn to, so I lived as a beggar inside of Wall Sina, and spied on humanity. Eventually, I overheard something about a certain girl apart of the royal family going to go to a military school; I followed her there._

_Her name was Historia._

_Historia Reiss._

_I followed Historia because I wanted to believe I could be pardoned for my crimes; even though I had no control over myself, I still felt guilty about eating that person. I thought to myself, "Maybe I could befriend her, and all could go well."_

_And so I did. I claimed the bed beside her in the girl's dorm, struck up a few conversations, and before we knew it, we were best friends. She told everybody her name was "Krista Lenz," and I assume that's because she doesn't want people knowing she's part of the royal family._

_One night, out alone in the wilderness, I bit my finger because it itched (I don't know why I didn't scratch it, I'm weird), and I transformed into a titan. I realized my powers quickly and taught myself how to control them without anyone knowing._

_Now at this point Wall Maria had already been invaded by titans, and we all knew it. Everybody's goal was to take back Wall Maria; however, the first day out of training, it happened again. A titan known as the Colossal Titan bashed through the District Trost entrance, and it was up to the cadets fresh out of training to save Trost. All I could think about was Historia, and that if she dies I won't be safe any longer._

_Many people died. It was a bloodbath, but the people I mainly knew made it out alive. Someone was even revealed to be a titan shifter like I; Eren Jaeger was his name. Soon after I told Historia about my powers; instead of shutting me out she thought it was kind that I let her in on such a large secret._

_I have come to actually like Historia over the years; she's kind, generous, and always smiling… the opposite of the attitude I have. I come off, sometimes, meaner than I intend to be and appear selfish; I kind-of want to change that now._

_Events transpired. Annie revealed herself as the Female Titan and we took her down until she came back stronger. That mysterious kid Link appeared. I overheard Reiner and Bertholdt talk and learned they were the Armored and Colossal Titans. Eren and Historia were kidnapped by them, as well as Levi, I think._

_And now, everything's gone to hell. And the only person able to do anything, anything at all, is me._

I look at Armin, who, along with Sasha and the other kid, is about to get eaten by titans, and say, "I'm sorry I didn't do this sooner. And I'm sorry for what comes after."

"And remember: this wasn't for your sake."

I bite down on my finger and jump down onto the first floor; in a matter of seconds, I'm a titan. I grab the small, three-meter titans terrorizing Armin and throw them out the now-broken door and slash at all of the other ones; then, I fling myself outside and onto the nearest titan, pulling them to the ground; I repeat this with every titan until there are no more. I take a look at all of the people standing on the tower; they're all looking at me in both shock and relief.

 _Can't go back now,_ I think. _I have to keep going!_

I turn around and sprint towards District Utopia, thinking, _I'm coming for you, Historia!_

**. . .**

_Here we are._

_District Utopia._

I transform back into a human and take a small break; being a titan definitely takes a toll on your body. The gate leading into Utopia is out in the distance, barely in view. I think I'm in "Misery Hills," as Armin says, and I guess that's right because the terrain is bumpy and hilly… now, Armin isn't here to give any advice or any heads-up. In fact, nobody is here to help. Just me. I can manage, though.

After said small break I stand back up and stare at Wall Rose, stretching from as far as the eye can see west, as well as east, and also the giant, wooden gate leading into the district; there's a manmade river flowing through the door…

 _That's where I'll sneak in,_ I think.

Without hesitation I begin moving again, this time on foot. I make my way to the river, and dive into the water once I arrive; after swimming a bit, I finally reach the entrance. Upon entering, I see that the river continuously flows through the district, and has bridges across it and stairs leading down into it.

"You there!" someone shouts at me. I turn my head as I'm climbing out of the river, my clothes dripping wet, to see a Fraternity Rose guy standing there with a rifle pointing at me. No other guards are in sight; _maybe I can get past this without shedding blood,_ I think.

"Hands in the air!" he demands. "Now, what are you doing here? Do you have permission to enter this district?"

"No, but it's important. I need to see Reiner."

"Reiner?"

"Yes. I know he's the armored titan and he wanted to meet me here."

"Why?"

"I don't know, but I kind of want to find out."

"Alright, fine, you're free to go."

I continue on, and, after walking on a dirt road for a bit, surrounded by farm plantations, I eventually arrive at a larger settlement. Upon walking through the overarching gate I quickly scan my surroundings: gray brick ground, shady atmosphere, multiple shops and housing, and lots of people. Reminds me of that city I met up with Mikasa in after Annie attacked her.

After walking through that, I traverse north even further until I'm greeted by multiple neighborhoods and streets; _probably the central settlement,_ I think. I enter the neighborhood and begin walking about. There are a plethora of Fraternity Rose guards, and even more people unaware of what is taking place around them.

I walk up to a guard; he has short, brown hair, freckles, is a bit shorter than me, and is wearing glasses. Not to mention the blue uniform he's wearing.

"I'm looking for Reiner Braun. I need to talk to him."

"State your name," he firmly commands.

"Ymir."

"Ymir what?"

"Huh?"

"What is your surname?"

"U-uh…"

"YMIR?" someone calls out behind me. I turn around.

_Bertholdt._

"It's long past time we had a talk, don't ya think?" I ask him.

"Let's get straight to the point," I continue. "Where's Historia?"

"Historia?"

"I mean, Krista. Where are Krista and Eren and Levi?"

"Can't tell you, Ymir. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for _what?_ For causing so much destruction and kidnapping innocent people?"

"Innocent? I wouldn't say that."

I punch him in the face and threaten to turn into a titan before the guard I spoke to earlier grabs me and pins me down. More guards arrive at the scene.

"Bertholdt," one of the guards says. "Something has happened up north and it requires your immediate assistance."

"What happened?" he asks him.

"The boy is now a titan and is attacking Reiner. Reiner is a titan, too. The girl could possibly be in trouble."

_Historia…_

"What shall we do with _her?_ "

"Keep her from becoming a problem."

**. . .**

It hasn't been that long since Bertholdt left and I was taken away to some kind of house. They told me I'll be escorted out of Utopia shortly, but for now I'll be staying here; however, I will neither be escorted out of here nor be kept here any longer. At least in the near future.

I'm not even being restrained or anything; I'm sitting on an uncomfortable couch, with a guard sitting next to me, in front of a fireplace, in a random house. The guard isn't even watching me. He's reading a book.

"Hey, you," I say.

"You're not supposed to be talking," he replies without looking up at me.

"You realize I could kill you instantly and escape?"

"And how would you do that?"

"For starters, I have this knife," I tell him, pulling it out. I found it earlier. "And you're the only guard in here."

"But there are multiple guards outside."

"I could sneak past them."

"HEY, GUYS," he calls out. "THIS GIRL WANTS TO ESCAPE."

A bunch of FR people come scrambling in with guns, and I immediately pull the other FR off of the bed and hold him at knife point.

"Fuck, guys, she - Jerry, don't do anything stupid. Nobody shoot!" one says to all of the other FRs.

"Let me go, or he'll die."

"Calm down! There's no need to kill him."

"Good. I'll be on my way."

"No! Wait! You can't!"

I push the knife into his neck a little more when a drop of blood comes out.

"NO! Don't! Okay! Go! JUST DON'T KILL HIM!"

"Wise choice."

I begin walking out as they all gather around the FR I was holding at knife point.

"Thank God you're okay, Jerry. Holy shit, that was scary. Come on, let's go get lunch," that one FR says to Jerry.

 _Heh,_ I think. _Despite working for a horrible cause they're still human._

After that ordeal, I immediately sprint through the village, flying past all of the confused citizens. I run besides the river, and out of the village, and into a small neighborhood, with food huts and such, getting closer and closer to the Utopian wall… And I make it into a field when suddenly I see Eren, in titan form, fighting it out with the Armored Titan.

_Reiner._

As I continue to sprint towards the scene, Eren lands a strike on Reiner's head, and his hand goes flying off. They look at each other for a second, and then Reiner goes for Eren, but before the Armored Titan can touch him Eren grabs his arm, clutches Reiner's torso, and throws him onto the ground. I then notice Bertholdt, who seems to have somehow just gotten there (probably took another route), and other FR guards; they throw these spear-like things at Eren.

 _Dammit,_ I think. _It's time._

I sink my teeth into my index finger, with Historia in mind, and once I'm a titan I rocket towards the scene just as Reiner's standing up. I jump over a crippled Eren and launch myself onto Reiner, who crashes down onto the ground. I immediately notice Historia as I land blow after blow on Reiner's armored body.

"KRISTA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I hear Eren shout. _He's no longer in titan form._

I turn my titan head a bit and fix my gaze on him, with Historia barely in eyesight, standing dangerously close to me. Suddenly, I'm thrown off of Reiner as the FR guards carry Eren away and Bertholdt clutches Historia's wrist and forces her away as well. The sight of Historia struggling to break free of Bertholdt's grip fills me with intense anger; I channel that anger towards beating Reiner and jump on the Armored Titan's back, attempting to shove him into the Utopian Wall.

Once I succeed and he stumbles back into the fifty-meter wall I launch forwards for another strike, slashing at his face, and he attempts to sidestep but I dig my hands into the wall and kick him, sending him to the ground. After a brief moment of cooling down, some FRs appear out of nowhere and start throwing spears at me; initially, I dodge most of them, but one _\- just one -_ hits me on my leg and it goes flying off, and once I land I lose my balance. Reiner, already back on his feet, takes advantage of my state and smashes both of his armored fists onto my small titan body and most of it falls apart.

Aware I've just lost I exit my now-rotting titan body and begin running away, when I forget the FRs took away my ODM gear. Still running, I look back at Reiner, who starts reaching down at my human body, and barely misses; when I continue dashing away those "lightning spears" fly through my right arm, and blows it off, and before I can react the same happens for my left arm. Now, both of my arms from elbow down are gone. It doesn't hurt that much, though.

 _It'll regenerate,_ I think.

"It's over, Ymir," Reiner, just now exiting his titan, tells me. "There's nothing you can do."

"Go to hell," I reply, facing towards him but backing up at a fast pace.

He starts pacing towards me.

"We need to talk, Ymir. We can negotiate."

"Negotiate what?"

"Historia's safety."

I glare at him furiously.

"How do you know that name?"

"I swear, I'll tell you everything. I'll answer all of your questions, I'll make sure Historia lives a happy life… all I ask in return is that you come with me."

"Where?"

"You'll see."

"I'll consider it, just don't blow any other parts of my body off."

"Deal."

They lock me up somewhere in Utopia, and I stay there until Historia and Eren show up out of nowhere the next day, telling me it's time to end this, once and for all.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_I wonder what my ocarina songs do in this universe._

I pull out my trusty instrument, still somehow in good condition despite taking a major role in two of my big adventures. I scan over it, with its blue exterior and the triforce symbol imprinted on it, as well; it's quite a beautiful instrument, but what it's capable of is even more beautiful.

Sitting atop a relatively high branch in Forest Cantavia, I clutch onto my blue ocarina tightly as I look down at the barely visible ground below me; once I decide on a song, Song of Storms, I begin playing the catchy tune. The song echoes throughout the forest, its high notes travelling through the trees; after I can no longer hear its echo I rapidly search around me, trying to see if anything's happening.

After about thirty seconds, I sigh, and think to myself, _doesn't work._

_But Saria's Song worked, and I even talked to Saria! Why doesn't the Song of Storms work?_

Following that thought, a cloud suddenly forms straight above me; I can barely see it through the dense leaves. Rain starts falling, and I smile, knowing it _does_ work, but in a different way.

Then, a lightning bolt jolts out of nowhere and strikes the tree I'm sitting on, and it starts falling over; I grab my items, stuff them in my pocket, and throw myself off the tree before it hits the ground, and tumble off to the side.

_Interesting._

Knowing some of my songs _do_ work differently here, I sit back onto the log and think of other songs to play.

 _Come to think of it, Saria's Song works differently as well; I could see her physical form when I last played it. I didn't question it because at the time everything seemed different, but now that it comes to mind… I can_ _see_ _her! That's much better than how it worked in Hyrule…_

I go ahead and try it out. I play the familiar tune flawlessly; it doesn't echo as much as the Song of Storms since I'm sitting lower, but it still resonates around me. Anticipating Saria's appearance, I look all around me, and then I see her, sitting on the log about a meter away.

_Saria…_

Her green hair is all messy, her clothes are torn, there's a wound that looks like it was made by a sword on her neck, and when she turns her head towards me I notice the most bizarre observation about her appearance.

Her eyes are both purple.

"Saria…" I say, scooting towards her.

"Link… where are you?"

"I'm far away from Hyrule, I'm sorry…"

"Link?"

"Yes?"

"Link, are you there?"

I look into her eyes and notice they're not looking directly at me; then, she turns her head back to the ground.

"Saria, I'm right here. Are you okay?"

No response.

 _What has happened to her in my absence?_ I think.

She disappears, and the last I see of her is her solemn expression, staring off into the forest. Instead of being discouraged by whatever is going on back in Hyrule, I'm determined to fix this world's problems even further before heading on back.

That is, if I can even figure out how to travel in between universes on my own.

 _I wonder what the Song of Time does in this universe,_ I think, as I begin traversing the forest once again.

**. . .**

I reach the edge of the forest. I don't know what direction I'm facing, so I'm forced to go to my last resort: travelling in a random direction and hoping I'm going in the right direction. I scan the horizon for a brief moment before turning into a Goron. Rolling into the unknown at high speeds, I hope I'm going in somewhat the right direction.

Contrary to what I was hoping I find myself approaching District Yarckel. At least I wasn't going in the opposite direction, I think. I slow down once the exterior village comes into view and transform back into a Hylian, and lie my body on the grassy ground.

 _Can't I get a break?_ I think. _Never have, never will, it seems._

I pick myself back up and point myself north and a bit west, knowing District Yarckel is a bit southeast of the Scout HQ. I place the Goron Mask on my face, spotting a few titans walking about in the corner of my eye. Then, I'm off, for the second time. I keep rolling, and rolling, and rolling, dodging titans in my path by the minute, when I come across a lake about 45 minutes into my journey. I jump into the air and transform into a Zora, and dive into the lake.

It's a pretty big lake, much bigger than Lake Hylia. Pretty deep, too; I can't even see the bottom. I gracefully zoom through the water, occasionally diving out of the water to get a view of my surroundings, and at one point I see a couple of kids swimming around in the water. Upon wondering how far they're away from the shore, I see the edge of the lake a few meters in front of me, and I turn back into a Hylian before I climb up on shore. There's a cottage sitting on the beach, with a town residing a little ways behind it, slightly to the left. The house is connected to it by a dirt road, leading from the front door of the brick cottage to the entrance of the village.

The wooden, roughed up door of the cottage flies open; surprised, I flinch and step back a bit. A thirtysomething year old woman steps outside and yells, "Cornelius! Gus! Get inside, there are titans!"

"TITANS?" one of the boys yells out in response.

"Yes! Now come on!"

We don't make eye contact as the two boys walk inside the house. I sneak off to the right of the house and turn into a Goron, continuing my journey to the Scout HQ.

About thirty minutes a large building comes into view; just a few minutes ago I found myself in another forest, but much smaller and less scarier than 'ol Cantavia. It resembles a castle a bit, but on a much smaller scale. I slow down and come to a halt, and then gaze up at the HQ as I turn back into a Hylian. Most of it's made out of white stone/bricklike material, and the pointed roofs are dark blue. I'm greeted by a quite large wooden door, and I knock on it a few moments later.

I place my ear against the thick wooden door. Footsteps, murmuring… Yeah, there are people in there. A lot of them, but not as much as in a village. _Probably about a hundred in here…_

The door abruptly swings open, and I fall into the interior of the Scout HQ; I'm greeted by multiple people wearing green robes, pointing their swords down at me. I place my hands in the air.

"Don't kill me! I-I… I'm with Mikasa!" I plead.

One of their facial expressions changes, and that person asks, "Mikasa Ackerman?"

"I-I don't kno… I think! We're on our way to save Eren and Levi and some other girl…"

"Where are they? Why were you sent here? _Who are you?_ "

"They're - uh… east of here! They're fighting off the titans as we speak, pushing north into Utopia, where they're being held…"

"What the hell are you talking about? Titans? Utopia?" he asks in response, getting frustrated.

"Do you not know?" I ask him, standing up. "Titans? In Wall Rose?"

"What the fu- titans?"

Now, by this time, most, if not all of the scouts have surrounded the area, looking on at the loud conversation between me and this guy taking place. They're even more confused than the guy I'm speaking with.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"NO!" I shout. "Do you want to see for yourself, or do you want to wait until they come knocking at this doorstep?"

Of course, after that last sentence, I hear the sound of a footstep made by a giant monster from outside. The HQ immediately goes quiet… Absolutely quiet. One scout signals to the other something with his hands, and a group leaves for a second, and comes back wearing ODM gear. The blond, tall scout I was talking to looks at me for a second, looks at the group with the ODM gear, then suddenly looks like he's about to have a heart attack.

"You're - you're joking, right? This is some kind of prank?"

"I'm afraid not," I tell him.

"Were you the one that wrote the note? The one that called all of us back to HQ? It was signed Levi but I had this feeling it wasn't him."

"What? No! I can't explain anything else, we have to get going and we have to get going _NOW!_ "

"Fuck this," the scout says under his breath. "Alright, scouts! I guess we're going to District Utopia. Get moving."

_That's more like it._

"Alright, kid - uh, what's your name?"

"Link."

"Just what are we expecting to fight in Utopia?"

"More than you've ever fought in your life."

_**Sasha's Point of View** _

_We're here,_ I think.

_Despite everything, we've finally made it._

Alex's arm was torn off. He's in too much pain to move anything, and Jean had to knock him out so he wouldn't be in so much pain. It's horrible. Armin doesn't even know if he'll live through it.

All because I let him join our crusade. Our death crusade. It's all my fault.

 _If he dies,_ I think, _I'll never be able to forgive myself…_

I take my mind off of Alex's well-being and gaze at the wall, looming out in the distance. We've stopped at our current position, hiding beneath a relatively large hill so the guards standing by the entrance to Utopia won't notice us. There's a river that leads into the entrance, so maybe we'll use _that._

"Are we sleeping here tonight?" I ask Armin, who is looking down at the unconscious Alex.

"Yes," he replies in a monotonous voice. He's still shaken by what happened with Ymir and Alex's arm.

_Ymir. I forgot. SHE'S A TITAN._

I don't know how, but Ymir turned into a titan and saved us all earlier… and then abandoned us. She straight up left us in the dust. I mean, I'm grateful I'm alive thanks to her, but the rest of the trip would've been much easier with her help.

_Whatever._

I lie down and gaze into the sky; it's in the afternoon. It's not _too_ cloudy but just cloudy enough towhere the sun isn't glaring into my eyes. Connie crawls over and looks down at me.

"You alright?" he asks in a hopeful tone.

"Not sure."

"Same," he replies, looking up into the sky for a brief second. "When is, uh… that kid coming?"

"Link?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Should be here pretty soon unless he got sidetracked. Which is a possibility, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

Mikasa, listening to our conversation, stands up and looks out behind me in the distance.

"When he does come," she tells us, "he, along with whomever he brings from HQ, will arrive from this direction. Keep a lookout."

"Gotcha," Connie and I say simultaneously.

**. . .**

_I can't sleep,_ I think. _Everybody else is dozed off, even Mikasa, but I just can't fall asleep._

_But maybe that's good. I can keep a lookout for titans and Link._

The semi-cloudy sky is no longer; instead, it is a sea of stars, twinkling in the night. The only lights I can see are from the stars, the crescent moon, and the torches at the entrance to Utopia. With no titans around to ruin anything, it's actually kind of peaceful here.

I stare into the direction Mikasa said Link would come from; it's extremely dark in that direction, and I can't see anything more than a few feet in front of me. I keep half-expecting Link to appear out of nowhere, visualizing him running into view, but he never does. Eventually, I lie back down and try to fall asleep again. Once I finally start dozing off, thirty minutes later, I hear the the sound of trampling grass. I abruptly jolt up and rapidly scan my surroundings. Everybody's still asleep - everybody except for me. I look in the direction Link will arrive from to see it's even darker than last time. I turn my head to the sky to see no stars or moon, only blackness.

Suddenly, a shadow is cast on me, and when I turn my gaze in that direction I see a titan. It looks down on me with an intense stare, but isn't trying to kill me; it's about ten meters tall and has long, black hair. I stare back at it, without blinking, for a full minute, engulfed with fear, when I suddenly blind, and the titan is suddenly much closer.

I jolt up, gasping for air out of nowhere, and look in the direction I saw the titan; nothing's there. The stars and the moon are still in the sky, as well.

 _Just a bad dream,_ I think, still gasping for air. Connie wakes up to the sound of my intense breathing.

"Wha - Sasha, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah… I-I had a nightmare…"

"Oh, well, we're fine. Go back to sleep, kay?"

"I can't sleep, I-"

That same sound of trampling grass I heard earlier comes back. Frightened, I jerk back and cling to Connie, who seems confused.

"What?"

"Nothing, sorry… is that Link?" I ask, seeing some sort of movement in the distance.

Sure enough, the thirteen year old child appears out of the darkness, with a few scouts following behind him.

 _That's all the people that were at HQ?_ I think. _No, no, that's not right…_

Once he and the three other scouts come into talking distance, I say, "Where are the other scouts?"

"They're coming in the morning. I told them to," he whispers.

"Why?"

"They needed more time to get ready, and I thought if a ton of scouts showed up at once the enemy wouldn't expect it, and would be overwhelmed."

He lies on the ground and sighs.

"I'm tired as hell," he says to himself, before passing out. The other scouts take a seat as well, and eventually doze off, along with Connie. I notice a few ODM gears lying by the scouts that they brought, and also Link's bag of stuff…

_Healing potion. That's one of the items Link took with him._

I crawl over to Link, and shake him until he wakes up. He looks at me, wide-eyed and bewildered, and asks, "What?"

"Alex, he's… he's injured, do you have your healing… stuff?"

"Yeah, but it'll be the last of it. How badly is he injured?" he replies, propping himself up.

I point to Alex's roughed-up body lying down a meter away from us on the grassy terrain. He's visibly missing an arm. He complies, and grabs the bottle out of his pocket, and moves over to him. Armin wakes up, but doesn't say anything.

Link very softly and easily turns Alex on his back, and Alex's eyes open for a second. He opens Alex's mouth, and then the healing potion bottle, and pours the last of it into his mouth.

"Now, this won't give him his arm back," Link tells me. "It'll just stop the bleeding and it might even grow back the skin where his arm used to be."

"Link…" Armin says. "You're back. Where are all of the other scouts?"

"They're coming in the morning."

"Perfect."

**. . .**

_the next day_

"Mikasa will go first. She'll stealthily take out the guards at the entrance, and then we'll all enter and hide somewhere for a bit and start strategizing. We make our way throughout the district, gradually splitting up into smaller groups, and when someone finds Eren, Levi, or Krista, they'll report back to me. If you come across Reiner, Bertholdt, or Annie, you run as fast as possible towards Link or Mikasa. If you are identified by a guard you do the same thing unless you can take on the guards without causing public disorder. Once we have everybody we need," Armin continues, "we go straight for Annie, and all of her allies."

"Including Reiner and Bertholdt?" I ask.

"Including Reiner and Bertholdt."

"These three scouts will wait outside, and once the other scouts arrive they shall wait outside until it is time to fight Annie. I'll give them the green light once it _is_ time. Do you all understand?"

We all nod.

I turn towards Connie, who is strapping on his ODM gear.

"Are you ready, Connie?"

"I'm always ready."


	19. Ocarina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_Let's do this._

I hop onto Epona and tie my bags to the saddle as everybody else readies themselves. Mikasa leaves and comes back fifteen minutes later and tells us, "The guards have been taken care of. We're ready."

And so we ride towards District Utopia until the entrance is meters away from us. Mikasa jumps off her horse and scans the entrance, and then signals to us that it's all clear, and we enter, riding past the river that goes through the entrance and into the district. There's a neighborhood out in the distance, surrounded by fields of grass, and there's a dirt road leading from our position to the neighborhood.

 _This is it,_ I think. _This is where it ends. This is the "final boss" room._

We ride on the dirt path in a tight-knit group, past the rushing lake and past the farmland off to the side. Once we reach the neighborhood, we're greeted by an overarching gate; I quickly realize it isn't just a neighborhood - it's a village. It's busy, just like Zingi was, and gives off a somber feeling, but not _too_ somber. Armin looks back at us on his horse, and we make eye contact.

"I'm going to set up camp in this place, and if you have something important to tell me then you can find me here."

"You're not going to help fight?" asks Jean.

"You know - I-I can't! I'm… I'm not brave enough. I'll still be of use, though. Tonight, if the fight has not started, come back here so we can think of a plan. It'll be our base for the time being."

He climbs off of his horse and walks through the black, overarching gate, and into the village. He eventually enters some kind of building and walks back out a few moments later and approaches the group.

"I found a place to stay. Sasha, let's switch horses so I can take Alex inside," he tells Sasha. Alex is on Sasha's horse, still passed out, but alive. He's missing an arm, but other than that he's fine. The two switch horses and Armin rides into the village before we split into two groups: Me and Jean, and Mikasa, Connie, and Sasha. Mikasa's group rides into the village and Jean & I go around it.

Travelling left of the village, I notice that it stretches for a while, sort-of in a linear fashion. We travel through a plantation, a large one at that; out in the distance, to the left of me and Jean is a farmhouse, and even further left is a barn. After riding a bit we see a tall house, and when we go around it we see a street extending from said house into a brick tunnel, which makes its way underground. I look at Jean, who's also studying it.

"Shall we take a look?" I ask.

"Sure."

We slow our horses down and jump off. I fix my gaze to the house; it's made out of red brick, like the tunnel, is three stories with multiple windows, and seems kinda out of place. Surrounding it are fields, but not farmland. I then turn my head to the tunnel. The concrete street, or path, I should say, leads into the brick tunnel, which eventually extends downwards and underground. I walk over to it and look inside. It's pitch black.

"I don't think there would be anything here," I say.

"Yeah…"

We continue searching. Riding through the fields of tall grass, with neighborhoods and such out in the distance in all directions. Just when I'm getting a bit bored Jean asks me something.

"Did you _really_ beat Annie all on your own?"

"Yep."

"Well… How? You're…"

"A little kid, I know."

He stays silent for a second.

"Yeah…"

"All you have to know about me," I tell him, "is that I'm not from this land."

"'Not from this land'? What does that mean?"

"Interpret it as you will, that's all I'm saying."

Upon fixing my gaze back in front of me, I see three figures in the distance. Three people, on horses, coming our way. I look at Jean, who gives me the look of "let's investigate." The three people - two girls and one boy - spot us, and turn in the other direction.

"Holy shit," says Jean. "That's… that's…"

"EREN!" he calls out. The boy with black hair looks back at us.

"That's Eren?" I ask.

"Yeah. Come on, let's go get them!"

They turn around and start riding towards us, before that guy Eren says, "Jean! What the hell are you doing here? Who is that?"

"We're here for you guys!" he shouts back.

"Where are the others?"

"Looking for you. Ymir," Jean says.

"What?" the brown-haired girl with freckles replies.

"Why did you just run away?"

"Because I wanted to. Come on, let's go get the others. Some FR people spotted us and are headed this way."

**. . .**

Eren rides up beside me as we make our way back to the place Armin's staying at. I glance at him to see him staring at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Who are you?"

"A friend of your friends."

"Why… Are you here?"

"They wanted my help."

"How can-"

"Alright, enough questions, we're almost here."

"Hey, don't jus-" he shouts at me as I ride up to the front of the group where Jean is.

"We're almost here," Jean tells me. "We passed that tunnel place not too long ago."

"Yeah. Hopefully those FR people aren't following us to Armin's place."

Once we enter through the gate and into the main city of Utopia, Jean points to a certain building across from us. It's a couple of stories high and made entirely of wood, even the worn-down door.

"That," he says, "is where we'll be staying."

"What?" Ymir exclaims. "No! I thought we were getting the hell out of this place!"

"We have to take on Annie! She'll come back for us, you know that, right?"

"Not my problem," she replies.

"Come on," I say. "If they leave, then they leave. It doesn't matter."

We hop off of our horses and tie their saddles to a post and I walk to the building. I look back at the group to see a small, blonde girl trying to convince Ymir to stay. She complies, and walks into the building with the rest of the group. Just before the door closes I spot a few FR guards inspecting our horses.

Jean walks up to the counter. There's a tall woman standing there, who appears to be very busy with paperwork, and seems stressed.

"Hello!" she says to Jean, and the rest of the group when we approach. We all appear exhausted like her.

"Are you lot looking for a room?"

"We're looking for a friend's room. They're staying here," Jean says to her.

"Name for the person?"

"Armin Arlert."

"Yep! He's on the second floor, room 7."

Thinking about the group of FRs I had just seen I signal Jean to stay behind for the time being. He nods his head before the rest of us rush upstairs.

Upon knocking on the door of room seven I hear, "Who is it?"

"It's Eren," he says.

He quickly opens the door with excitement, and pushes us out of the way and hugs Eren, clearly glad to see him.

"Are you okay, Eren? Oh my God, I didn't think you'd make it back this fast!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Where's Mikasa?"

"In this city, looking for you, along with some other people."

"Who's that?" Eren asks Armin, looking at Alex. Alex is lying down on one of the many bunk beds in the room, unconscious.

"He's a friend we brought along. I guess you met Link?"

"Who?"

"Me," I say.

"Oh," Eren continues. "Yeah."

We sit down at the table in the middle of the wooden room. There's a candle in the middle, the only source of light in the dark room.

"So… what's our next step?" I ask Armin.

"Wait until Mikasa returns, and then search for Annie."

"Do you know what Annie can do?" Eren asks.

"We all do," Ymir replies. "And, apparently, Link can defeat her."

"Well," Armin continues, "let's all calm down and-"

The door abruptly busts open, and multiple people wearing blue uniforms enter the room. I stand up and unsheathe my sword, along with Eren, who looks like he's about to bite his hand.

"You kids need to come with us immediately."

"No," Eren tells them firmly.

One of the guys pulls out a bow and shoots at the blonde girl. The arrow strikes through her chest, and her body turns lifeless in a matter of seconds. Ymir shrieks. She gets up and grabs one of them by the neck and starts choking them before she's stabbed in the stomach. She continues, not dying for some reason, before she's stabbed in the middle of her neck - _the nape_ \- and she falls to the ground. I pull out my bow and begin shooting at them, and kill all but one.

"What the fuck?" Eren says to himself multiple times. Armin, horrified, slowly backs away, and looks at me in fear.

Eren, angry, Picks up one of the dead FR's knife and stabs the only one left. The FR, in shock, pushes Eren off of him, and takes the bloody knife out of his stomach. He looks at Eren for a second, then at me.

He throws the knife at me, and it lands in my chest. I fall to the ground as Eren runs out the door, leaving me, Armin, and a bunch of dead bodies.

 _Shit,_ I think. _Aw, man… this hurts… oh no..._

A thought I had yesterday comes to mind.

"Armin," I say weakly. "I… have to tell you something."

_**Armin's Point of View** _

I awaken in a bunk bed, inside some kind of wooden house. It's dimly lit, except for a candle on a table in the middle of the room. Scanning the room, I seem to not remember anything; entering District Utopia is my last memory, actually.

 _Maybe I passed out,_ I think. _And this is our hideout, so my friends put me here._

_Seems logical._

I hop out of bed, familiarize myself with the room a bit more, grab one of the knives our gang brought along, and walk out of the creaky, wooden room, down the stairs, and outside.

 _What the heck?_ I think, gazing at the city surrounding me. There's a bunch of people walking around, and carriages travelling about; I didn't think out hideout would be _here,_ in a very populated area. Over to the right at the edge of this town is the exit, and from that exit I can see Wall Rose, letting me know we're far south in Utopia.

There's a place with the word "PIZZERIA" painted in big, bold letters at the top. Hungry, I walk towards it, almost bumping into a few people. Upon entering the smell of hot bread and cheese becomes prevalent. Looking around the room, I notice the place isn't that crowded but isn't empty, and each table holds about ten people. Only two of the giant, round booths are filled up, and nobody is sitting anywhere else.

I walk up to the counter, and dig into my pocket to see if I have any money. _A few gold coins,_ I think. The tall waitress asks me, "Whaddaya want?"

"Uh… what do you have?"

She gives me this odd, sort-of annoyed look.

"Pizza."

"What?"

"Yeah. You never have pizza?"

"N-no?"

"Are you not from here?"

"I'm not from here."

"Oh. Explains. Well, you go sit at *that* booth over there," she tells me, pointing to the back of the pizzeria.

I do just that, and sit in the gigantic booth in the opposite corner as the booths that are filled up. Just as I'm finally relaxing and not constantly on the lookout, someone enters the restaurant. That someone, a girl, is wearing a blue uniform.

_You have got to be kidding me._

The waitress tells her to sit at the booth I'm sitting at. The FR girl complies, and takes a seat at the booth, directly across from me. She grabs one of the menus stacked in the middle of the wooden table, skims it, and then glares at me.

"Hello," she says.

"H-hi."

"What's your name?" she casually asks, continuing to scan the menu.

"Armin… what's-what's yours?"

"Did you not read my nametag?" she asks. I look down at her blue uniform to see "J HANET" imprinted on it.

"Oh. Sorry."

I grab a menu and try to casually skim over it.

_Act natural, Armin._

A few minutes pass, and we haven't talked. I've ordered my pizza, and they bring it after a long moment of awkward silence. The pizza's split in half; the FR's side is pepperoni, and mine is regular cheese.

"So," she says, breaking the silence.

"What brings you to Utopia?"

"Huh? W-well… what makes you think I've never been here?"

"This is one of the only districts that serves this strange food called 'pizza'. You had a weird face when looking on the menu, so I just kinda guessed."

_This girl is very observant…_

"You sure do pay at-attention to detail…"

"Yeah. It's one of the things I've been trained for."

"Cool. U-uhm… I'm in-in the Scout Regiment, and I'm up here with my friends."

_Why did I just say that?_

"So you and your friends were trained for killing titans?" she asks.

"Yeah."

She grunts.

"Well," she continues, "you know how I've been trained to, as you put it, 'pay attention to detail?'" she asks as she finishes her second slice of pizza.

"Yes?"

"Yeah, well… that also helps me figure out a lot of things… like kids going on trips into the unknown…"

"...and have no idea what they're doing there."

_She knows._

I reach for a knife, but she punches me in the face.

"You really didn't think you lot would get caught, huh? It's extremely obvious!"

She grabs the knife and holds it to my neck. Everybody's looking at us.

"Goodbye," she tells me, before an arrow zooms out of nowhere and into her skull. Her now limp body falls down onto the table, and I spot Link with his bow near the entrance.

"LINK!" I shout.

"Armin, why are you here! Come on, Krista died again!"

"WAIT, WHAT? SHE DIED?!"

"You-you don't remem- nevermind, you'll understand later. Just come on!"

He clutches my wrist and guides me out of the pizzeria, back into the wooden building I was in, past Jean, up the stairs, and into my room. Krista is lying on the table with a knife in her stomach, and Eren & Ymir and standing around her. Ymir's crying, and Eren looks very angry.

"EREN!" I yell, running over to him. He puts his hand out, telling me not to disturb him, and I step back.

"Armin. They'll be here any minute, if you don't want the image of your friends dying stuck in your mind _twice_ I suggest you listen to me. Everything will come back to memory once you… once you…"

He starts stuttering, and then looks down at his stomach. There's an arrow jutting from his body. He almost falls to the ground, but I catch him before he does so.

"Shit!" I scream. Eren and Ymir look over.

"Who the fuck is that?" asks Eren.

"Our only hope," replies Ymir. "And he just fucking died, along with Historia."

"Historia? You mean Krista?" Eren asks her.

I look around the room for whoever just shot the arrow to see someone with ODM gear and a bow & arrow hanging from the window. The window's bashed open. As soon as we make eye contact he hops down to the ground, and runs away from the building.

"I know how to save her," Ymir tells Eren.

"How?" he replies.

"It's the last resort, but it'll work. Armin, stay here and try to keep him alive, we'll be right back."

The two grab Krista and run out of the door, leaving just me and Link.

"What the- what is going on, Link?" I ask him, as he struggles to stay on his two feet."

"O-ocarina…"

"What?"

"W-wait… Lock door."

"O-okay."

I slowly guide him to the bed and lie him down, and I grab the key in my pocket and lock both of the locks on the door. A split second after turning back towards Link someone starts banging on the door.

"OPEN UP!" they say.

I look back at Link, who shakes his head. I walk over to him, as the life escapes from his eyes by the minute.

"Link, the healing potion! Wait - you used it, didn't you?"

I notice Alex lying on the bed across from us, unconscious.

"Yeah… you used it on _him._ Now, _you're_ gonna die."

"No… O-ocarina…"

"You need your ocarina? What will it do? Can it save us?"

"Touch it." he says in a clear tone before his eyes shut.

I immediately feel his heart to see if he's dead; luckily enough, he's not, as his heart's surely but slowly beating. I search the room for the ocarina to see it placed on a nightstand by the bunk, not in Link's bags for some reason. I reach for it, and clutch it, when suddenly I start having a flashback.

**. . .**

" _Armin," he says weakly. "I… have to tell you something."_

" _What is it?" I ask, helping him up. "We have to go get Eren."_

" _No," he replies. "He'll be fine."_

" _Armin," he continues, able to walk again somehow._

" _There's a lot you don't know about me," he says, scanning the room._

" _What do you mean?"_

" _When I say I'm not from here I mean… I'm from another universe."_

" _Huh?"_

" _I'm not from inside the walls, I'm not from outside the walls, I'm not from anywhere that's here… I'm from a place called Hyrule."_

" _I don't understand. And how can you walk?"_

" _I can use the last of my energy when I'm about to die all at once, that's why I don't appear injured."_

" _You're about to die?"_

" _Yes, but it will be fine."_

_He continues, "Armin, this instrument is more than it appears," he tells me, showing me his blue ocarina._

" _It can do a lot of things. Including time travel."_

" _You're kidding?"_

" _No. That's why I don't seem worried. It has saved my life countless times and it's the most precious item I own. I need you to learn a song."_

" _What song?"_

" _It's called the Song of Time. I'm not entirely sure how it works here, but I'm confident it will do something to reset this ordeal."_

" _Reset?"_

" _Yes. You may or may not remember this in the next cycle, but if you touch the ocarina it will all come back to you. Play like this:"_

_He plays three notes slowly, then repeats the same three notes, and then plays this sort-of catchy tune._

" _When you play the song, if you want it to work you have to think, 'this will work', or else nothing will happen. Now you try, and when you play it, think, 'this will work'."_

_And I play it exactly as he did, as he falls to the ground, and I think, "this will work," before my vision is dominated by whiteness._

**. . .**

_I remember,_ I think. _I know what to do!_

I bring the ocarina to my mouth and play the familiar tune, called the "Song of Time," thinking _this will work, this will work, this will work._

And once I play it I look all around me. Everything gets tinted white all of a sudden. I can feel time reversing, the earth spinning, and everything flowing backwards; I see the image of a clock abruptly, a clock that is moving counterclockwise.

And suddenly, I awaken in a bunk bed, inside some kind of wooden house. It's dimly lit, except for a candle on a table in the middle of the room.

_**Dawn of The First Day** _

_**-96 hours remain-** _


	20. Time Hopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoppin' along timelines, with a bunch of blood.

_**Dawn of the First Day** _

_**-96 hours remain-** _

_**Armin's Point of View** _

_It all… Reset. Everything's back the way it was. It worked. The Song of Time worked!_

I hop out of the bed and gaze out the window. No FR guards are to be seen, nobody is dead, and my hideout hasn't been discovered. A few minutes later, still in shock & awe of what just happened, I notice a certain girl in a blue uniform walk into a pizza place. I instantly remember Link shooting her in the head, and then realize the fact that she's not dead and she knows my friends are here in Utopia.

 _She's going to be a problem,_ I think.

I look over at Alex, who's lying down flat on one of the many bunk beds in this room. He's alive, but missing an arm. Poor kid.

I take a seat at the table in the middle of this dimly lit room and blow away the fire, making the room even darker. I sit in silence and think, trying to remember everything Link had said to me the first time I reset with the Song of Time.

" _I'm not from inside the walls, I'm not from outside the walls, I'm not from anywhere that's here… I'm from a place called Hyrule."_

 _What does he mean by that?_ I think. _How is he not from inside the walls nor outside the walls? It has to be one or the other. Wherever this 'Hyrule' is has to be outside the walls, if anywhere._

_And he seems casual when talking about time travelling… does he do that often? He really is a strange kid._

A few minutes later, the door bursts open, and Link comes running in with nobody else.

"ARMIN!" he shouts ecstatically. "It worked! You did it! Everybody's alive!"

"Yeah…" I reply. "We... Reset time."

"You and I are the only ones that can remember from timelines that have been erased with the Song of Time. Each time the timeline gets reset, everything starts over from when we first started to go and find your boy Eren."

"Where's Jean?" I ask.

"I told him to keep going. We found Eren and the two girls in this one field the last two times, and since I told him just to keep heading north he'll eventually run into them. But dude! We're okay!"

"So we basically have all the time in the world to figure out how to defeat Annie?"

"Pretty much. Last time I could reset time I only had three days to stay in that timeline before I was forced to reset until I knew exactly what to do."

"It's not like that this time?"

"I guess not. Or maybe it is, like whenever something really bad happens that we can't stop from happening. My ocarina works differently here, but this song seems the same. Odd."

"Before we start doing anything, let me ask one more question: so if someone dies, they'll still be alive when we reset? And we can continue in the current timeline even if someone dies to see what happens?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

**. . .**

_**-94 hours remain-** _

We're currently looking for Mikasa's group, along with Jean, Eren, Ymir, and Krista. We have two titan shifters and Link on our side, and once we have Mikasa we'll be ready to take on Annie. If our group finds Mikasa before the day ends we could carry our plan out in less than a day, and nobody even has to die, because if they _do_ die we can just reset and try again.

_Thank the Walls for Link's ocarina._

"Armin," Link says as his horse trots up next to mine.

"Yeah?"

"You seem confident. A little too confident."

"Well, if something goes wrong we can just reset and try again, and the only way we can lose if both of us die. And I don't know about me but I'm pretty sure you can't die."

"I almost died… twice."

"True, but that probably won't happen again."

"What are you guys talking about?" Jean asks. "'Resetting' - what?"

"Nothing," I tell him.

After riding through town for a bit and stopping for a lunch break along the way our group finally runs into someone of importance.

_Bertholdt._

He's sitting on a bench reading some kind of book in the middle of one of the most crowded streets in Utopia. The colossal titan, mankind's greatest enemy, is right in front of us, oblivious to our immense power. Eren almost charges forward but Krista grabs his arm before he gets off of his horse and tells him, "Remember last time?"

He nods and then climbs back on his horse.

"What happened last time?" I ask.

"Same scenario, except instead of Bert it was Reiner," Ymir tells me. "I saved his ass."

"Then I saved yours," Eren says afterwards. Ymir grunts.

Our group decides to take out Bertholdt without him even seeing our faces; Link climbs onto the rooftop hanging above Bert with a paper bag I found and drops down, placing the bag around his face once Link lands. He immediately starts squirming and yelling, and then Ymir ties his hands behind his back so he can't transform into a titan. Link puts his yellow sword against Bert's neck and whispers something to him, and he suddenly goes quiet.

"It's fine…" Bertholdt says to himself. "I can just wai- yeah, yeah, just four days…"

We walk him back to the apartment/hideout place and leave Jean and Krista there to make sure he doesn't do anything, and then we travel back to where we were and continue moving forward.

About thirty minutes later, the sound of thunder rolls across Utopia, and I quickly turn my head to see what caused that thunder: _Bertholdt._

Steam gushes out of his giant, red body as his titan takes its form, and then he turns his head towards us. I look at Link.

"Song of Time?"

"Yep," he replies.

He plays it, and I'm back where I started, and the exact same events are played out in the exact manner as before, except we take Bertholdt with us instead of leaving him at our hideout.

 _Wow…_ I think. _Without the Song of Time we would've been screwed._

This cycle of try, fail, and reset continues for the rest of the day. FR catches us and they all gang up on our group? Reset. Bert escapes? Reset! It's so easy! We know more and more about what to do every time we reset!

By the time the sun is going down and we haven't found anybody else of importance yet we find another place to rent for the night and settle down there. Everybody collapses on a bed and almost immediately falls asleep, excluding me and Link.

Link pulls out his ocarina and starts playing a song; it kind-of sounds similar to the Song of Time, but it seems… _reversed._

"What are you playing?" I ask, hopping down from the top bunk of the bed I was sitting on.

"It's called the 'Inverted Song of Time'. When I would play it, it would slow down time. The world didn't feel like it was in slow motion, but all the events that took place just took… longer."

"What does it do here?" I ask before I notice I'm sitting on the bunk bed once again.

"That's freaking awesome…" Link says under his breath. "It can restore a certain time. I restored a few seconds ago when you were sitting on that bed. Cool, right?"

"So… we don't have to restart the entire day, huh? We can just do that if we mess up?"

He plays it again, and closes his eyes; he opens them a brief moment later with a confused expression.

"Weird. Doesn't work anymore."

I take a seat at the wooden dinner table we're sitting at as the moon finally takes the place of the sun in the sky outside. He rises the ocarina to his mouth once more and plays a different song. This time, it's the regular Song of Time but each note is played twice in rapid succession.

"Song of Fast Time?" I ask.

"Close," he answers. "Song of Double Time."

"Does it speed up time?"

He doesn't answer; his eyes are closed, and he seems like he's trying to focus on something. A minute later he comes to his senses, and starts gasping for air. I stand up and walk over to him and calm him down, when he looks me in the eye with a horrific expression.

"It's her…" he says. "The Titan Girl…"

"Who?"

"Annie's her name. She… she was… here, just play the song."

He hands me the ocarina with his shaking hand and I play the Song of Double Time exactly as he did. Suddenly, my vision is taken over by blackness. The numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 appear in front of me, and the numbers 96, 72, 48, and 24 appear above the other four numbers, respectively.

_What the hell is going on?_

I turn my head towards the 4 when it abruptly starts glowing, and then I appear back on the streets of Utopia. Most of the buildings are flattened, and the ones that aren't are half-demolished. There's a giant shadow being cast upon the city, coming from the opposite direction I'm looking. I fix my gaze behind me to see the Female Titan.

The Female Titan… except, she's as tall as the Colossal Titan, and she's glowing green, and her eyes are also green, and… she's wreaking havoc on Utopia, slaughtering many people and destroying everything in her path. I come to my senses with a jolt; I'm on the floor of the apartment we're staying in, and Link's down with me.

"Did you see it?" he asks. "Annie?"

"Yeah, she…"

"I know."

_**Link's Point of View** _

_**Dawn of the Second Day** _

_**-72 hours remain-** _

I open my eyes and soak in my surroundings. I'm on top of a bunk bed, and there's a wooden roof above me.

I instantly remember where I am upon seeing Eren lying on the bed across from me, initially thinking Armin reset time again. I push the blanket off of me and jump down from the bed, waking up most of the people in the room upon landing on the floor. Armin's in the bed below mine, and he's the first person I make eye contact with.

"Link… where are we?" he asks, yawning.

"I didn't reset, we're in the same place we were last night."

"What do you mean, 'reset'?" asks Eren, who's just now waking up.

"Nothing."

Our group packs our stuff and heads out, back on the streets. The streets that are supposedly going to be destroyed by Titan Girl in three days.

 _Dawn of the Second Day,_ I think. _It's like Termina, except I get four days to get stuff done instead of three. Four days until mass destruction, like last time._

_Neat._

We eat breakfast at this one place called "PIZZERIA," and it looks identical to this one restaurant I had seen yesterday… _Day 1._ We're seated at this giant circular booth next to - get this - a group of FRs. One of the female FRs immediately glares at us, and continues to until the waitress appears.

"Uh - why is that guy blindfolded and tied up?" the waitress asks, looking at Bertholdt.

"Oh!" Krista exclaims. "It's his birthday and we planned on surprising him later today. He'll be able to eat but still can't see where we're taking him."

 _Nice save,_ I think. _Except those FR people know who he is._

_Might have to reset._

Armin whispers my name as I pull out the ocarina from my pocket, staring down the FRs; a few seconds later, the FR goons stop looking at us and begin chatting away with one another. I let out a sigh of relief before eating breakfast with the gang.

We walk back onto the streets. The FRs stay in the pizzeria, oblivious to our plans. All is well, and nothing is going wrong. I turn my head to Armin, seeing his determined gaze directed in front of us. He looks back at me, and flashes me a smile before I do the same. Just before I turn my head back a bullet zooms from behind Armin and hits the back of his head, and then goes through his right eyeball.

_Ah, damn… That's… that's… Ah, man._

I turn away as our group screams and take out my ocarina. I look back to see an FR girl, and immediately notice her nametag: "J HANET". I run for cover and play the Song of Time.

A few seconds later, everything goes quiet. I open my eyes and soak in my surroundings. I'm on top of a bunk bed, and there's a wooden roof above me.

_**Dawn of the Second Day** _

_**-72 hours remain-** _

_This is… this is the second day._

_It didn't reset to the first day._

Confused, I play the song again, only to wake up in the exact same spot: on top of a bunk bed, in a room with the rest of my gang. Eren's laying on the bed across from me, also on the top bunk, and upon hopping off of the bed I notice Armin lying down on the bed under mine. He's awake.

"Armin," I say. "Are you okay?"

"Well… I don't really know. I mean, I just died, didn't I?"

"True."

"Why did the-"

"ocarina not work?" I interrupt amidst his question. "Dunno. This is the second day, it didn't reset to the first."

"Hm. Weird," he says.

We follow the same routine, except this time everybody's more alert, especially Armin and I. Upon telling Armin who killed him and how, he claims he's seen the FR girl before. When we enter the pizzeria, I immediately spot the same girl who had shot Armin in the last four day cycle. She's sitting at the table of FRs, staring us down.

"Let's eat somewhere else," Armin says. "There are FR people in there."

"You know Fraternity Rose?" the small blonde named Krista asks.

"We all do. They've caused us a good bit of problems over this past week."

Our group finds a different place to eat, and all goes well.

 _Man,_ I think, _without my ocarina we'd all be dead. This is one dangerous district._

Once we're finished with our breakfast Jean, Ymir, Krista, Armin, Eren and I head back out, constantly looking behind us to check for any followers. We walk past people in stands selling newspapers, a few tomato & lettuce stands, these places where people kill live fish, and not to mention the bunches of 5-7 FR guards wandering about. The task at hand, which is searching for anybody of importance, begins to slip away, as my surroundings is what I'm thinking about.

That changes when I hear the voice of someone of importance.

"LET GO OF ME!" a familiar, feminine voice calls out from another street. I look all around as everybody else does the same when Armin mutters something.

"Sasha…"

He runs ahead of the group, rapidly turning his head in search of the girl when he suddenly shouts, "SASHA!"

I eventually see her by an empty carriage, surrounded by FR men trying to calm her down and force her into the carriage, and she's resisting as much as possible. Sasha makes eye contact with me before shouting out my name as Armin makes it over to her position, and in the blink of an eye an FR has Armin on the ground, restraining the blond as well as Sasha.

I take out my bow. The last arrow in my quiver is placed on the Hero's Bow, and the drawstring is pulled back before the arrow zooms ahead, straight into an FR's head. I jerk forwards as the rest of the group (excluding Krista) begins helping as well, and I rip the arrow out of the now dead FR's head and stab another with it before unsheathing my sword.

In just a few minutes, there are about ten dead bodies on the ground, and they're all wearing blue.

Armin suddenly hugs a scared Sasha, and then everybody else joins in.

"Where are the others?" I ask.

"They were… taken."

Sasha explains what her group did during the first day and how they were hunted down, with Mikasa first, then Connie, and then herself.

"We shouldn't have split up," Armin says. "I… I'm sorry. That was my fault."

"No, it's fine. The only thing I'm worried about is how we'll find them without any of us being killed or taken as well."

_If only you knew, Sasha. If only you knew._

We begin travelling in the carriage, except this time we have Sasha. She directs us towards where she thinks Connie and Mikasa were taken. All is going well in this timeline.

"Eren," Sasha says to the black-haired boy sitting across from her. He looks up without replying.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You haven't really been… vocal."

"I know. I don't really feel like talking right now. It's been a helluva week."

"It sure has…"

I poke my head out of the carriage and scan the premises when I notice another group of FRs standing about. I initially think they're of no use until one of them mentions a girl with short black hair and "her small companion." I face Armin, and I give him the ocarina.

"I'll be right back. Play the song if anything goes wrong."

I hop out of the carriage and back onto the streets. The FRs are still chatting away as I begin to eavesdrop their conversation from behind them.

"And it's been said she's also been travelling with multiple more, as well. The most notorious being a blond boy in a green garb with a weird, pointy hat."

"You mean like that?" one of them replies, pointing at me.

All six of them turn towards me.

"Yeah… Like that…"

_Dammit._

"ARMIN!" I shout. "PLAY THE SONG!"

A few seconds later as I back away from the suspicious guards I'm suddenly back in the carriage. I look at Armin, who's half-smiling.

"Inverted Song of Time," I say. "Knew that would come in handy."

I carry out the same actions as before until I approach the group. I hide behind the corner of the brick building in front of them and eavesdrop on their conversation.

"And it's been said she's also been travelling with multiple more, as well. The most notorious being a blond boy in a green garb with a weird, pointy hat," one says.

"I think I heard about that. And Jane told about this other blond dude who apparently tagged along with their group was in this district. Something tells me they're _all_ in Utopia."

"Doing what?"

"Dunno. Maybe they're looking for that one kid that can turn into a titan."

"Maybe," another replies, before the group walks away.

I return to the carriage and tell Jean, who's directing the carriage, to go in the opposite direction. Our group begins following the FRs, and we slowly but surely find out more information about Connie and Mikasa's whereabouts.

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

_**First Day** _

_**-86 hours remain-** _

The door bursts open from behind me. I try to see who it is from the corner of my eye; it's an FR carrying someone into the room. I hear a grunt and immediately recognize Connie's voice. He's placed down beside me, and is in chains, as well. A look of horror is on his face as he probably realizes we're screwed.

_Dammit… All we have left is Sasha. There's no way Link's group could find us in time…_

The door is closed, and the room goes pitch black. And we sit there in said pitch black room for hours, and hours and hours… it's absolute silence. I can barely even hear Connie's breathing over my own, along with my heart rapidly pounding.

Then, I start to hear something else. Repeated tapping on the floor, with… with _shoes…_ getting louder and louder by the second. _Someone's walking down the hall to this room,_ I think. I look over to Connie. He's passed out. I decide to scoot over to the table in front of me and hide under it.

The door opens, and a green light is emitted from the entrance.

One name comes to mind.

_Annie._

"Damn, I thought they said they caught Mikasa… Well, he'll do," she says, walking into the room.

Connie jolts upwards and looks at Annie. She points her green-glowing palm out at him and he rises into the air, holding his neck like he's choking; she forcefully backs his body into the wall and holds him in the air.

"Tell me, Connie, where are the others?"

No response.

"Yeah, I'd assume it wouldn't be that easy… Well, that's okay."

She grabs ahold of one of Connie's fingers; a few seconds later, she yanks it off, and Connie screams. Blood pours from where his finger once was onto the ground.

"Where are the others?"

No response, just whimpers and groaning.

"I know you, Connie, you won't be able to stand torture. You're a coward."

She yanks another finger off using her "green powers."

"TELL ME!" she screams at him, punching him all over and slapping him constantly. She beats him using her regular fists while also pounding him onto the ground with her powers.

 _This is too hard to watch,_ I think. _But there's no doubt I'll die if I try to stop it._

A few minutes later, Connie's been beaten to a bloody pulp and is lying on the ground. Annie's breathing heavily and her fists are covered with blood.

"If you don't want to tell me, fine, I'll torture Sasha until she tells me."

"...no…" he mutters.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"NO!" he screams, and he stands back up and punches her back in her face. She steps back a bit and chuckles.

"You really love her, don't you?"

He glares at the cold-blooded murderer, barely able to stand.

"That's cheesily heroic of you. I'll do you a favor since we were in the same squadron back in training."

She steps forwards, with her palm out at him.

"You won't have to watch her die," she tells him, before sending him headfirst into the wall. He's still alive for a few seconds before the life escapes from his eyes, and he's dead.

Connie, a boy who I've known for quite a while is now dead. He died just now, right in front of me.

Annie exits the room, wiping the blood off of her knuckles.

 _I'll kill you,_ I think. _Wait, no. Death would be too merciful._

_I'll make your last living moments as painful as possible, titan._

**. . .**

_**Second Day** _

_**-65 hours remain-** _

I awake to the sound of yelling, screaming, and gunshots. Upon opening my eyes the door of the room bursts open and light enters the room.

"Oh no…" a familiar voice says. I rise to see Link, holding a lantern, staring down at Connie's dead body.

He sees me.

"Mikasa! What happened?"

"Annie."

"When did he die? Did he die today or yesterday?"

"Yesterday," I reply.

"DAMMIT!" he screams. "NO! You've GOT to be kidding me. Agh…"

Armin enters the room, along with the rest of the gang.

"What's wro - _oh_ ," Armin says. "We can reset, though, right?"

"It happened yesterday, but when we reset it goes to this morning! Now we… we can't get him back."

Sasha sees Connie and sprints to his body. She abruptly starts crying, holding his head up, screaming, "NO! NO!" When the realization hits that one of her best friends - _or maybe he's more than a friend_ \- has just died, she completely loses it.

Then, I see him. Eren. Standing with Armin's group. He notices me at the same time. I jump over the table and sprint for him, and once we meet each other I embrace him, and he does the same.

"Oh my God, Eren, you're okay… you're okay…" I say, hugging him tightly. I almost start crying.

"Mikasa…" he says. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what?" I ask, pulling away but still grabbing his arms.

"For being a jerk is Ehrmich. I-"

"It's okay," I say, hugging him again.

A few minutes later, we all sit down and start talking about our experiences. Ymir and Krista are here with the group, as well… _Ymir, the titan shifter who abandoned us._

Armin rises.

"What now?" he asks Link.

"Well, um…"

"We find Reiner." Eren interrupts Link. "We've found Bertholdt, all we need is Reiner and then we can take on Annie."

"Next stop," Link says, rising from the floor.

"The Armored Titan."

* * *


	21. The Battle of Utopia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner and Annie being assholes.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_**Second Day** _

_**-63 hours remain-** _

_The Ocarina of Time certainly does work differently here._

_Instead of the Song of Time resetting to the Dawn of the First day, it resets to the dawn of whatever day it currently is._

_Instead of the Song of Double Time fast forwarding to a certain time it shows events that take place in the future._

_Instead of the Song of Inverted Time slowing down time itself, it simply turns back time to a certain event the same day._

_Due to these differences, Connie is now dead, and there's no way to save him._

_It's been a bumpy ride,_ I think. _But we're pulling through._

I look around the carriage I'm in. People I have known for merely a week surround me, yet it feels like they've been by my side for a long time. Something tells me they really _will_ be by my side for a long time.

I take a look at Mikasa. She's sitting next to Eren, and while I don't know much about their relationship I can tell they care deeply about each other; Mikasa seems to be very protective of Eren, as well. They're strong in their own ways, both physically and mentally.

Then there's Armin. He's definitely an interesting person. Armin is smart and intelligent, but doesn't seem to give himself enough credit for all he does. He creates plans, strategizes, and is a good leader. He's sitting next to Sasha. Sasha is a usually happy and talkative person, but easily excited and frightened. Right now, though, she's completely devoid of emotion since, y'know...

Jean. He's currently driving the carriage because he has the least beef with FR. I don't really know much about him except he tries to protect our group before saving anyone else. I respect that. Some people will think it's selfish but I think it's smart. He thinks about us before them, and tries to keep us out of danger. Of course, that's the impression I'm getting. Haven't known the guy that long.

Ymir and Krista. They seem to really like each other. Ymir's a very mysterious person, and is even a titan. Another Titan Girl. Krista doesn't really seem _mysterious,_ but I feel like no one really knows her except for Ymir. Maybe Ymir doesn't know everything. But Ymir _does_ call her Historia for some reason. Weird.

I like these people, I really do.

**. . .**

_**Second Day** _

_**-62 hours remain-** _

"This is the place," Eren says, as a shadow is suddenly cast upon the carriage. I poke my head out to see a giant wall looming over a similarly giant field. The field is cut in half by a river we're riding next to.

"This is where we fought Reiner."

"We?" asks Mikasa.

"Ymir helped," replies Eren.

"' _Helped'?_ If it wasn't for me you'd be dead, Eren."

"That's a lie and you know it, I was doing _fine!_ By the time you came I was already beaten."

"Oh, shut your mouth. Who knows what they would've done with you if I wasn't there?"

Krista says, "Ymir, you seem to forget how _he_ saved _you_ the day after. If it wasn't for him you'd still be locked up. And don't say you would've found a way out."

"But I totally would have found a way out!" Ymir exclaims.

"Guys, shut the hell up, don't bring attention to us. Nobody cares who saved who, we're all alive," Jean complains.

Ymir yells back, "Shut up, horseface!"

Sasha, still looking depressed and teary-eyed, says, "...Connie isn't alive."

The entire carriage goes quiet.

"Now that's more like it," Jean says under his breath.

I hop out to check if the coast is clear; seeing as not a soul is in sight, I investigate why nobody's here, and remember Eren had fought that Armored Titan in this area. There's a noticeable chunk of wall taken out and a couple of the bridges that go over the river are destroyed.

"It's clear, guys."

The sun is setting in the west, and the atmosphere is getting darker by the minute. The rest of the group, with the exception of Bertholdt and Krista, exit along with me. We head out.

"What, exactly, are we supposed to be doing here?" I ask Armin.

"I was hoping we could maybe find Reiner here and if not we could question Bertholdt. Maybe spend the night here, too. We're more than safe."

"We should probably cut Bertholdt's hands off so he can't transform while he's questioned, alright?" Ymir points out.

"Wait, shifters can't transform if their hands are cut off?" Mikasa asks, half-confused.

"I'm pretty sure."

"That would've been nice to know…" she says under her breath.

Mikasa, the only person left with ODM gear (other than those scouts waiting outside the district), starts to unsheathe her blades and walks towards Bertholdt to slice off his hands.. While the rest of the group handles that, I pull Armin aside to have a little chat.

"We have until a little after sunrise until we can't reset. If something bad happens tonight, we _must_ reset before then, got it?"

Before Armin can respond, Bertholdt looks over to us with a strange look and says, "Reset?"

"Shut your mouth, colossal," Ymir angrily tells him, and then she slaps him in the face. Mikasa appears right behind Bertholdt, and seems like she's about to do it.

"Y'know…" Bertholdt starts, "I still think of you guys as my fellow comrades."

Ymir turns towards Bert and almost goes off on him when Krista appears behind her and grabs her arm, lightly shaking her head. Mikasa doesn't do anything.

"I didn't ask… to be hated by all of you. I never wanted to drift apart in such a way."

"Now, on that day five or so years ago, I had a completely different mindset. I was convinced humanity was pure evil and that what I was doing what right. After I met you guys, that… changed. We did so many things together. Trained together. Studied together."

He lightly chuckles. "Made stupid jokes about Jean's horseface and Eren's fails together."

"Now… you have me tied up and my hands about to be cut off."

"I want to… I need… I'm…"

He starts tearing up a bit.

"I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE LIKE THIS!" he screams, bursting into tears.

"I DIDN'T WANT TO BE MANKIND'S GREATEST ENEMY! I DIDN'T WANT TO BE SEEN AS A CREATURE OF HATRED! I… I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

"I'm… I'm sorry… I know I killed so many, but… I'M SORRY!"

"Does sorry bring back my mother?" Eren asks him.

"DOES SORRY ERASE ALL OF THE PAIN AND SUFFERING YOU CAUSED FOR SO MANY PEOPLE?" he continues yelling at Bertholdt.

Mikasa grabs his hand, saying, "Eren, calm down." Eren pushes her away.

"I know I caused a lot of pain… and I know that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I just want another chance. Kill Reiner, kill annie, they're the true evil…"

He doesn't say anything else, and neither does anybody else as well. There's a long period of silence.

_That was… interesting. I actually feel bad for him._

"Wow…" he says.

"That actually bought me time."

Not a second after he utters the word "time" a lightning bolt strikes from behind us and upon turning around I see a giant, bulky titan with gray hair, and one name comes to mind.

"Armored Titan," Armin says under his breath.

I sprint towards the carriage to retrieve my masks, but before I can enter the carriage a giant chunk of earth is hurled at it, and the vehicle is completely destroyed in a matter of seconds. I search through the rubble for any of my masks as screams from the surrounding area erupt, but to no avail; assuming my two bags are underneath the giant boulder, I turn back around to the fight about to take place.

Two more lightning bolts strike in the area, and suddenly I see two more titans. One, who I'm pretty sure is Eren, seems to be as tall as the Armored but less bulkier and longer, black hair. The other, who I think is Ymir, is much, much smaller, but has legs the look like they're twice the length of her entire body. The two simultaneously jump forward as Mikasa springs up into action as well.

 _Can't sit around and do nothing,_ I think. I grab my golden hookshot out of my pocket and aim it at the Armored Titan. A few seconds after it clinks I get thrust into the air and land perfectly onto the titan's shoulder.

"MIKASA! YOU DIDN'T CUT BERTHOLDT'S HANDS OFF!" Jean shrieks from the ground. Mikasa, just now landing on the Armored Titan's head, looks down at him, and throws one of her blades. It zooms down to the ground until the edge digs a few inches into the dirt.

I unsheathe my sword and pull my hookshot out of the Armored Titan's skin. The titan starts running forwards, causing me to hookshot his nape, and when he stops sprinting forward I crash into his neck. My sword didn't do anything to damage him. The titan, who must know of my presence, turns around and slashes at the golden chain from my hookshot and launches me onto the ground next to Armin. A thought comes to mind.

"The scouts… where are they?"

"I never gave them a specific time to arrive, I just told them to wait for one of our signals."

I stumble back to my feet and dust my clothes off. "Think we'll have to reset?"

"Possibly. If we capture Reiner before tomorrow morning we'll have a pretty good advantage, though."

Mikasa comes crashing down next to Armin and I. Her blade-carrier is completely empty.

"Agh… Armin, I'm outta blades. They're useless against Reiner."

The only people fighting this "Reiner" are Eren and Ymir in their titan forms. Eren's punches are doing virtually nothing and Ymir, who's clutching onto the Armored's back, isn't helping much either. After Ymir is thrown off until she can't get back up and Eren is hurled across the field for the upteenth time, I begin to wonder if we really _do_ need to reset.

But I decide not to.

That decision comes to benefit us when Krista comes running toward our position on the field, claiming she might know how to beat Reiner: thunder spears.

"It's a weapon they used to defeat Eren when he fought Reiner earlier. In a matter of seconds the guards had him restrained. Should we give it a shot?"

I turn to Armin. He nods his head, and I nod back. Krista, Armin, and Mikasa decide to head out and find them. Sasha follows along as well.

"Hey! Guys - uh, before you go… Is there any way to get Eren's attention so he can move that boulder?"

Mikasa gives me a strange look.

"Uh - no… Probably not."

**. . .**

_**Second Day** _

_**-57 hours remain-** _

_Fighting this guy is wearing down my sword more than it is him._

I crash down onto the ground once more. I'm bruised, have pretty deep cuts, and slightly dizzy.

I notice Ymir climbing out of the nape of her now-rotting titan body.

"Hey!" I shout. "Y-Ymir!" I hopefully run towards the tall girl.

"What do you want, kid?" she asks back aloud.

"When you turn back into a titan, can you move that boulder?"

She lies down on the ground, clearly exhausted.

"Whew, I… I don't know. Maybe. Why?"

"My stuff is under there."

"Yeah, fine, just gimme a minute."

_Five hours later and I'm finally getting that damn boulder moved off of my items…_

_Man… hopefully none of my stuff is broken…_

I walk the boulder with my limping body. Upon turning around to see what Ymir's doing, she comes out of nowhere, leaps over me, and crashes into the boulder in her titan form.

The boulder doesn't move.

Her titan stumbles to its feet, stares at me for a second, and then heads back into the fight. Speaking of the fight, Eren's getting completely demolished. His face is bashed in, he's been thrown into the wall a million times, and Reiner's armor is nearly impenetrable, so Eren's punches do nothing. He's a distraction, though, and a good one, which is what we need right now since apparently that blonde girl knows of a way to beat the Armored.

"Link!" someone calls out. I turn my head to see Jean holding some kind of spear.

"What's that?" I ask.

"I don't know, but I bet we can use it somehow."

"Are there any more?"

"I'll go see. Here, take it," he says, throwing it to me. I catch it and observe it.

It has a lot of technological gadgets on it, and is pretty heavy. I decide to test it out by throwing the spear at the boulder trapping all of my items. Once I hurl it into the air and it strikes the boulder, it immediately explodes into a thousand pieces of rock. I'm hit by one of those pieces and sent flying backwards, next to Jean. I look up at him.

"It… It works. These must be the thunder spears Krista was talking about."

"The what now?"

"Thunder spear," I say as I stumble to my feet.

I run over to the rubble in front of me for my bags, and once I find them I take out my Fierce Deity Mask. Just when I'm about to place it on my face it flies out of my grasp and lands on the ground a few meters in front of me. I unsheathe my sword and look around. Eren and Ymir are still getting pounded by the Armored Titan, Armin, Mikasa, Sasha and Krista are still out and about looking for the thunder spears, and Jean has disappeared.

One thought comes to mind.

_Titan Girl._

Her figure appears on a rooftop over to the right of me. She picks up the Fierce Deity Mask off of the ground using her telekinesis powers. Her glowing eyes scan the entirety of the powerful mask, studying its distinct features. Then, she looks back down at me.

"Drawing your power from external forces can have disastrous consequences," she says, leaping off of the rooftop. The mask is still in her hand.

"That's one of the things he told me after he gave me these powers."

"Who?" I ask.

"Someone who wants you dead, evidently…"

She thrusts her hands forwards and I'm sent flying backwards in the air, and I crash onto the ground next to Titan Eren. Annie nonchalantly walks towards me as I get back on my aching feet.

The small blonde forms a green ball in one of her hands, and stares deeply into it.

"Being completely honest, I'm pretty sure I'm not even close to using this power's full potential. I'm inexperienced with it. Yet it's already given me so much strength. I can feel its energy surging through me, like it's an eternal part of my soul… You've felt the same way, haven't you… Link, is it?"

"H-how… do you know my name?"

She pushes the green orb forward and positions it an inch from my face.

"Answer the question."

_Felt the same way about… the power?_

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That's disappointing."

"Anyway," she continues, "it looks like you can't even beat _him_ without your all-powerful masks, let alone _me,_ so I guess we can call it a day. OH! I forgot - I wanted to show you this cool trick I taught myself."

She directs her gaze to Eren's torn-up titan form. She calls out his name, and Eren looks at her for a brief moment and pauses combat with the Armored Titan and lets Ymir take over.

Suddenly, Eren's body starts glowing green, and his titan form is forced down into the earth. Annie's hands direct him with this weird downward motion until only his upper torso and head is visible, and the rest of his body is below surface. He struggles for a bit, and then gives up. She continues messing with the titan when I realize she's vulnerable.

I rush towards the unsuspecting Titan Girl and grab my Fierce Deity Mask off of her side, and I'm almost immediately forced onto the ground. I roll over and see Annie using one hand drawing me in and one hand pushing Eren back down into the ground.

_Her powers work on me now… She's getting stronger._

"You see," she says loudly as she deals with two threats at once, "it's harder to control you than it is everybody else. When we first met I wasn't able to at all. This evens things out."

I don't join in on the smalltalk and instead place the Fierce Deity Mask on my face, and once I begin to transform I embrace the pain that comes along with my transformation masks, and just a few seconds later I'm looking down on titan girl when she suddenly loses her grip on my body. I slash at her with my FD sword, and she ducks under it with ease. Her teeth sink down into her finger, and lightning strikes from above and down onto Annie. I'm pushes backwards to the ground, and once I arise a giant, pink, blonde titan stands before me.

Eren's now steaming titan starts to rot, and the Armored Titan's armor is starting to look worn-down. Ymir's titan appears deformed and exhausted as well. Annie's titan, on the other hand, looms above me with her ever-threatening glare and "green powers," ready for battle #2.

 _I beat her last time,_ I think. _I can do it again._

_**Armin's Point of View** _

_**Second Day** _

_**-60 hours remain-** _

Krista, Sasha, Mikasa and I have been searching for these "thunder-spears" for about two hours. Krista's 100% sure of their location, and the only reason it's been two hours and we haven't found them is because we've ran into some people.

We ran into Levi. And Erwin. And Hanji. Out of all random encounters we've had, I would have never expected _them._ They're now tagging along with us. Oh, and not to mention, they brought along this one guy named Victor for some reason.

_This day is going very well so far… I hope the rest of it is the same. I don't want to have to do all of this over again._

"Most of the other scouts should be waiting at the entrance to this district. They were told to stay put until told otherwise," I say to Erwin. He appears much different than normal; his clothes are torn, dirty, and his blond hair is messy. Same with everybody else.

"That's good, Armin," Hanji says. "From what I've heard Annie is much more of a threat and we need all the help we can get…"

"I forgot to mention… There's this kid named Link. He appears weak but is actually _very_ powerful. He's our secret weapon. He-he's beaten Annie before."

After walking for about thirty more minutes Krista leads us to this two-story brick building. She tells us that it's probably filled with FR people, but thinks we'll be able to take them out easily. Levi then says he'll kill all of them himself. He pulls out a small knife and studies it.

"I've grown to like this knife and grown to hate these people. I'll be back shortly."

He enters through the double doors. Before the doors close back I grab it and crack it open just a bit to watch him.

There's a wooden counter with a bunch of bottle behind it… This is a bar. Levi smashes a guy's head down onto the counter and then sinks his small blade in the guy sitting next to him. He then throws himself over the counter and pins the FR bartender to a wall. The FR rapidly shakes his head and begins to scream, but Levi quickly puts his hand over his mouth to muffle the screams. A few seconds later the life's escaped from the man's eyes and Levi pushes him to the ground.

Levi looks back at me.

"It's clear," he says, nonchalantly.

Our group splits into two. Erwin, Sasha, and I head for the entrance to Utopia to gather all of the scouts, and the rest stay at the brick building, which has an ample supply of these "thunder spears" - enough for the entire regiment. It was originally only going to be me and Erwin, but Sasha, who still isn't talking that much, insisted she goes.

"Armin…" she softly says whilst walking beside me.

"Yes?"

"I… I still haven't accepted it. I can't… He… He was my best friend."

"I know… I understand, Sasha. You're not alone."

"He always laughed at my stupid jokes… Tolerated me when I stole his food… Was there when I was at my worst… Cheered me on when I was at my best… I don't know what I'm going to do, Armin, I… I've never had someone like that in my life and I don't know if there'll ever be someone like that again."

_She's never opened up to anyone like this other than Connie… Why me?_

"Everyone experiences something like this in their life at least once, some much more than others. Take a look at Eren. His mom was eaten right in front of him… But he keeps moving. You need to keep moving as well. Find someone else that could laugh at your jokes, cheer you on, care for you… Your personality is definitely one-of-a-kind, Sasha, I'm sure you'll be fine."

I look back up at her. There's tears running down her face. She looks back at me and smiles.

"Thanks, Armin. Sorry for bugging you."

**. . .**

"According to Armin, this will be the greatest challenge all of you will ever face. All three of mankind's greatest enemies currently reside in this district. It is our job to cleanse the world of these beasts and restore peace among the people of this forsaken world."

"There will be three titans we will face, two if everything goes perfectly. The Armored Titan, the Female Titan, and most likely even the Colossal Titan - the one that broke through Wall Maria."

"Do not attack the Female Titan unless told to. She is much more powerful this time around than last time in Stohess."

"We however _can_ attack the other two using the thunder spears you were given a few moments ago. These explode on impact and can penetrate through the Armored Titan's armor. Once we take care of the Armored we can secure the Colossal. As of now, the Colossal's arms are cut off, meaning he cannot transform. We have to make sure it stays that way. The battle will end in two days if everything goes according to Armin's plan."

"Are you all ready, soldiers?"

All of the scouts say "yes sir" simultaneously.

"Then let the Battle of Utopia commence."

_**Link's Point of View** _

_**Second Day** _

_**-57 hours remain-** _

As I run across a rooftop, dodging chunks of earth being hurled at me by the second, I spot a group I've been waiting for down below. I hop down to greet them.

"Where are the scouts?" I ask in my distorted, FD voice.

"They're going to flank Reiner from both sides. Where's Bertholdt?" Armin replies.

"I think Jean has him."

The rooftop of the building I was previously running on gets thrown at me via Annie's powers, and I slice it out of midair before it hits any of us.

"Gotta bounce," I say, hookshotting my way back into battle. I zoom towards the Female Titan and land a strike on her eye. I'm quickly thrown off of her. Upon landing the ground below me starts shaking, and suddenly it's torn from the ground and risen into the air by Annie. I dig my sword into the rising chunk of concrete & dirt before I'm shaken around in the air. I clutch my sword as tight as possible.

About a minute later she goes ahead and throws the entire piece back onto the northern field, the original battleground. The ground lands right in front of a crowd of people in green garbs. _The Scouts._ I recognize someone in particular in the crowd of people here. He's short, has black hair, and has these narrow eyes… _Narrow eyes! Levi!_

I wave my hand at him.

"Hey! Narrow eyes! Levi! It's me! The kid!" I shout at him. I'm pretty sure he doesn't recognize _me_ , though.

I look to my left and see an entire house coming down from above and I jump over into the crowd of scouts to dodge. I tumble over by Narrow Eyes.

"You guys better get going," I say.

And they do just that. While I continue to fight Annie, the group throws thunder spear after thunder spear at the Armored Titan, and he's unable to counter in any way. They start by blowing off his titan eyes, rendering him temporarily blind, then going for his feet. After that, Levi climbs on top of the limp titan and rips Reiner out of the nape. Annie quickly throws Levi off from a distance using her powers and draws Reiner in, along with Bertholdt. She places them on a rooftop behind her.

She turns back to me and tries to grab me with her crystallized hand, and pushes me down into the building before I can react. I try to escape her grasp, but to no avail. She picks me back up. Instead of throwing me somewhere, she retains that position and begins to form a green ball in her other hand.

My face starts feeling tingly, and my vision starts to get tinted green. I realize she's trying to rip the mask off of my face, and so I struggle some more; it only slows her down. Once she finally rips the mask off of my face, she exits her titan and grabs the mask with her human hands.

We walk towards each other on that rooftop. She holds the mask out in front of her, making it turn green.

"As I said earlier: drawing your power from external forces can have disastrous consequences."

The mask breaks, and she throws its pieces onto the ground. I scream at her. My sword now unsheathed, I blindly charge at her, and when I try to strike her in the neck she stops it using the same power. I still hold onto my trusty Gilded Sword, pushing it towards Annie's neck. Nothing happens. A look of confusion appears on her face. She pushes on the sword more, but it doesn't move.

Somehow, the sword starts moving in my favor. It starts reaching her neck. I feel power surging through me as this happens; I also notice my Triforce resonating on my left hand. My first thought is Shadow Link, but this… This feels different. It feels like a power that's been hidden inside of me is finally waking up. It's a power that comes from within, like Titan Girl's powers.

_You idiot… I am the Hero of Time, did you really expect to beat me?_

I slice her head off with ease, and once I do so a green flame engulfs my sword. Like some of her power is transferring to my sword.

Before I finish Annie off by going for her nape I turn back around and see a crowd of mostly green-wearing people looking up at me. They're all cheering. A few seconds later, though, they stop. I turn back around to see Reiner.

He punches me in the face and I fall down, and then he kicks me until I black out.

I don't wake back up until it's the _**Dawn of the Third Day: 48 hours remain**_


	22. Annie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She dun goof'd.

_**Annie's Point of View** _

_**back in the military school days** _

"Eren, wake up," I say to the sleeping boy. It's about 3 o'clock in the morning. Eren's never woken up this early.

"I-I'm already up."

"Then that means you don't need any coffee. Get up, we have to train earlier than usual because of our exam today."

"Annie, I gotta have coffee. Especially wa- *yawn* waking up at this hour. What time is it?"

"Precisely 3 AM. I'll be downstairs, so be ready in five minutes."

I start to walk out of the room, but before I exit through the door he says, "Wait." I stop.

"Ten minutes," he says.

"Fine."

I walk downstairs as quietly as possible and exit the building. Once I find the spot Eren and I usually train I hide behind a tree. _Wonder how he can handle sneak attacks,_ I think. It's really foggy and wet, not to mention dark, so I have the advantage.

He eventually enters the area I'm in, and l quickly hop out once he's distracted and try to kick him on his side. Eren then turns his head, looks me in the eye, grabs my leg and pushes me back all in a few seconds. I fall to the ground.

"Nice," I tell him. He helps me back to my feet.

"What's lesson that's worth waking up at 3 are you teaching me?" he asks.

"It's about anger. I've never been much of an angry person myself, but I still know how to control it when I do."

"That definitely sounds helpful.."

"Yes. You tend to let your rage take full control of your actions, which can hinder you - instead, you can use it to your advantage. Being angry can race your heart, stress you out, do all sorts of things… If you channel all of that energy in a positive way, then your chances of winning a fight are greatly increased."

"Well then, let's get started," he tells me, as he gets into his fighting stance.

"First off," I start, "is knowing why you're angry when you _are_ angry. Sometimes what makes you angry also makes you determined. It's the reason you fight. Sometimes your anger is what provokes the fight in the first place. Tell me, Eren, what makes you angry?"

"Titans."

"Why?"

"Because they ate my mother."

"Is that it?"

"I-I don't know, why are you asking me this?"

"Nevermind. Okay, Eren, pretend I'm a titan. Pretend like I'm the titan that killed your mother. You hate me."

"What?"

"You heard me. Picture the titan that ate her, and picture that titan's right in front of you."

"No - why… Why would I do that?"

"Trust me. Just do it."

He stares off into space for a second, and when he snaps out of it an angry look appears on his face.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm ready," he says.

"Use your anger, Eren. Don't be controlled by it. _You_ control _it_ now. Feel its power surging through you. Feel your rage, your hatred for me. Now attack."

He charges forward with a furious face. I sidestep, but he predicts this and kicks me to the ground when I do so. He throws a punch, but I duck under it. Then, I grab his torso and body slam him. I latch onto him and hold him to the ground.

"You feel it, don't you? The rage. You want revenge."

He pushes me off of him and gets back up. He takes a fighting stance. I run at him, but before I reach him I jump back, expecting him to strike. But he doesn't. He charges forward when I jump back and punches me in the stomach as hard as possible, and I fall to the ground. I lay there for a moment, writhing in pain. Nothing I haven't already been through, but still enough to hurt like hell.

I turn over. Eren seems surprised and terrified.

"Shit, Annie, I didn't mean… I didn't know… I-"

"No," I say, interrupting him, as he helps me back on my feet, "You did great. Don't worry about me. Pain and I came to an agreement long ago."

"Let's go again," I say, taking a fighting stance.

_**A few years later, around the time Link arrived** _

"Annie," she says, standing on top of my titan head.

"Fall."

And I do. I fall to the ground, as Mikasa looks down on me. Once I crash down, Eren, in his titan form, leaps onto me and shreds me to pieces, throwing chunks of my pink titan body in all directions… I start to cry. I've lost. I've failed. I'm no longer a warrior.

 _Reiner and Bertholdt must be disappointed in me,_ I think. _The least I can do is make sure the Scouts don't get any answers out of me._

I use the last of my power to form a crystal around my body, and in doing so I pass out.

"Annie Leonhart," a voice says. I assume I've woken up and try to open up my eyes, but to no avail.

_Am I dreaming?_

"It appears you have lost your battle."

_Who… Who is this?_

"Your enemies have triumphed, and you have failed. "

"That's very unfortunate. However, I believe you are still capable of the certain powers you've received. I tested them out on you yesterday; you don't remember it because your memories were wiped."

_Wha… what?_

"Yesterday, you were given magical powers, powers capable of many, many things. Telekinesis. Teleportation. Destruction. In certain cases, even mind control. In what you call 'titan form' you chased a very problematic boy named Link… He isn't important just yet, but he will be."

"Right now, you're stuck in a crystal you formed to protect the secrets you hold from your enemies. That's a good last resort. But it doesn't have to be anymore. You can use these powers to escape, fulfill your desires, and take revenge."

"The powers you were given work differently in every single person. The potential for how it can be used is the same, but the thought processes and the way you control it vary. That's why I can't guide you. I trust you'll figure it out, okay?"

And I awaken. I'm inside the crystal, in some kind of underground dungeon. The room's empty except for me.

_That was an… odd dream._

I can't move my head, or any part of my body for that matter. Only my eyes, and my fingertips. I wiggle my fingers around to see if I can control the crystal I formed, and gradually, the material around my hands begin to feel looser and looser. Eventually, my hands are free. Once I look down at them I notice they're green.

_No… It can't be._

I hear footsteps and immediately act like I'm passed out. Someone enters the room.

"So… You locked yourself up. I guess that makes sense on your part, but that just means we went through all that trouble you caused us for this bullshit. You thought, 'well, I've lost, least I can do is make sure they don't get any answers.'"

_Levi._

"In any case, at least you're not a threat anymore, I suppose. If you somehow make your way out of there, we will find you and we _will_ get answers. If we find a way to get you out of there, we _will_ get answers. I don't care how we will. You've destroyed enough lives that we need not show any mercy when you may scream in agony."

I open my eyes, angry, and point my hands towards him. He appears surprised for a split second, and then he goes flying backwards. I look down at my hands. They're still glowing green.

_It wasn't a dream after all…_

I make all sorts of motions with my hands, tossing him around the room, when something comes to mind. Teleportation. The person who was talking to me mentioned teleportation. I decide to test it out, and think of the first place that comes to mind: Shiganshina, where Eren used to live and where the key to destroying the very purpose I fight rests.

I don't expect it to work, but it does. He disappears into a green cloud and is gone in an instant.

"Good," I hear the voice say. "Now rest."

I don't wake back up until much, much later in the day. Upon awakening I feel strong power surging through my veins, and when I move my hands around the crystal I'm in moves with it. I try and move my head, and the crystal allows me to move it. _I can control my hardening power in human form,_ I think. _That's interesting._

I then carve a message on the crystal to my dearest friend Mikasa: "Die Mikasa". Not two minutes later she comes down into the dungeon and sees it. More scouts enter the room behind her. They talk about it for a bit, and figure out I can control the hardening ability in human form, and from within the crystal. That's when I try something.

I focus on everybody's eyes and move my hands in a side motion; a few seconds later they all look behind themselves, like they saw something in the corner of their eye. That's when I think of the district I'm in, Ehrmich, and suddenly I'm teleported out of there. A feeling of weakness overwhelms me all of a sudden, and the power surge I felt earlier is gone.

"Good, very good… Remember, teleportation is costly, girl. That's why you may feel weak. Only use it when absolutely necessary. But you did well. Now, carry on."

I meet up with Reiner and Bertholdt, and a few other people wearing blue uniforms. They're initially surprised, but then look relieved. They inform me of their plan they've worked out with this organization known as Fraternity Rose to use District Utopia as a temporary place to store Eren and other people of importance.

I spend a lot of the day testing out my powers on certain people, training myself with them. Later in the day, I get in a fight with Eren, who then goes titan, and I fight him as a titan. I meet a kid who I assume is Link like the person said who fights me, and I win against him. During the fight with that kid, Eren, and also Mikasa, I nearly destroy Ehrmich, just like I did Stohess. The next two days I fight Mikasa, and also that kid again. I lose to the kid, as he uses some other type of powers he has. Lots of events transpire in this time, and I grow stronger and more experienced with my powers by the day.

The person, who hasn't talked much, tells me about Link through my mind, "It's okay that you lost. He uses masks to give himself power; I know this because I know who he is. He's fairly powerful but can easily be exploited if you know his weaknesses. Remember: Drawing your power from external forces can have disastrous consequences. If you get the chance, kill Link using your powers, which come from within, to your advantage. Feel the power."

The next time I find myself fighting him, I rip his mask off and almost beat him. He manages to cut my head off, and I don't wake up until it's grown back. I'm sitting on the branch of a tall tree with Reiner, and Link, Eren, and Ymir sitting across from us. Reiner notices I'm awake. He, along with Bert, know about my powers, but don't know about the man who gave them to me.

"Finally, you're awake," he says.

The power has been feeling stronger by the day, and is now feeling stronger than ever. Like it's charging up for something. I hold it in, enjoying the thrill of it running through me…

"Where are we?" I ask.

"They took over Utopia so we're outside the walls. They have Bert, but I managed to grab these three by going titan. We're going to have to leave pretty quickly once we have Bertholdt. Zeke's waiting for us."

_Zeke. I don't know much about that guy._

"Link," I say, grabbing the blond boy's attention. "I don't think we've been properly introduced."

He looks up at me with an angry expression. His hands are tied behind his back.

"I'm Annie Leonhart."

He doesn't respond but instead glares at me along with the two titan shifters sitting next to him. I think about throwing him off of the tree for a second, thinking it'll kill him, when the voice returns.

"No. That won't do it. Something has awakened inside that boy that I was not aware of until just recently. I'm not sure what it is, but don't underestimate it. That's how he beat you earlier. Let your powers charge up, beat him then. I know you can. He's pathetic, and thinks he's invincible. Show him he's not."

_Can he read my thoughts?_

"Yes, I can," he says. "I'm more powerful than you could ever imagine, girl… Worry not about me. Once you take care of Link I'll unlock more of your power and my voice will leave your mind forever. "

_What's your name?_

"Call me 'King'."

**. . .**

_**back in the military school days** _

"Annie."

I look over to my side to see Mikasa. Her eyes are bloodshot, and she appears exhausted. Also slightly angry.

I rise from the wooden chair and glare at her. "Yes?"

"What were you doing with Eren? It's four o'clock in the morning and there's an exam today," she firmly demands. I subtly roll my eyes and turn away from her.

"Training."

"Training for what? The exam? It's a written test, you know that, right?"

"I've been teaching him hand-to-hand combat for the last few months. Has he not informed you about that?"

" _No_ , he hasn't."

"Well, I'm sorry. What does it matter to you?"

She walks to the other side of the table and plants her hands in the middle of it, staring at me.

"Why?" she asks.

"Why are you teaching him how to fight?"

"Because he wants me to and I'm willing to," I answer.

"But there's something else. You're the most uninterested person I've ever met in my life. Always seem like you don't care about anything. Keeping your thoughts to yourself. Why him? Why Eren?"

"I could ask the same about you, Mikasa… You treat him like you're his mother, and that's how he sees you. He constantly pushes you away, though, because you're _annoying."_

"He's willing to train with me because he can actually tolerate me, unlike you," I say.

That's when Eren appears out of nowhere.

"Can you guys go to sleep? I want to *yawn* I want to at least get an hour of sleep before this stupid test… Mikasa, what are you doing down here?"

"Nothing. It's fine," she says, storming off.

"Annie."

"What?" I ask.

"What did she do?"

"She found out."

"Dammit… knew I couldn't keep it from her. Guess we can finally do it in front of her now, at least. Don't have to hide it."

"Yeah…"

**. . .**

_**Third Day** _

_**-45 hours remain-** _

"Annie."

"Annie!" he shouts.

"Wha-what? Oh, sorry. Daydreaming," I say to Reiner.

"Bert's hands should be grown back by now. That means he can transform," Reiner tells me.

"So _is_ he going to transform?"

"Not unless we rescue him… So I have a plan. We all three go titan at once. No… four."

"Four?" I ask, confused.

He looks over to Ymir. "I told her if she works with us Krista will be safe. If she refuses, Krista will die. With her on our side I'm sure we'll win this battle."

I notice Eren and Ymir looking at each other. Their expressions seem like they have mutual trust for each other, like Eren knows she won't betray everybody… At the same time, I know Ymir will do _anything_ for Krista.

"Reiner. In order to ensure Ymir does not betray us, we need to capture Krista so she knows to be on our side the entire time."

Reiner nods. "She'll be our first priority, then."

I arrive back into Utopia a few hours later, alone. The very first second I walk in some kind of rock strikes my head. I fall down. The last thing I see before blacking out is Armin trying to tie my hands up.

"I don't get it," I hear a voice say. "How did you know _exactly_ when she would arrive back here and exactly where to strike her with the rock?"

"You see this?" another voice asks. "This is Link's ocarina. I won't go into detail, but it lets me 'reset' a day. Every time something bad happened I would reset and all of your memories would be wiped except for mine and Link's. It took a lot of trial and error but I eventually figured out how to capture Annie…"

_That's Armin's voice…_

I open my eyes to see I'm tied to a chair. My hands are tightly restrained. I see all of the people I trained with back in military school, along with quite a few scouts. Armin's the closest to me; he's holding this blue instrument… _Link's ocarina. I need to destroy that._

"I don't believe it. You just turned back time every time we screwed up?" Jean asks Armin.

"Essentially."

Armin notices my awakening and flinches. A few seconds later everybody else notices as well.

"I'm guessing I can't talk my way out of this, can I?" I awkwardly ask. Everyone stares at me with an angry glare. They all seem like they want to kill me… Except Sasha. She's looking at me from behind Armin with this sad, depressed expression.

"Annie Leonhart," Armin says, standing up. "I only have one question."

"Why?"

I look back at him with a bland expression; I know how much pain I've caused for him and his friends. I know how much they all hate me, and I know that now I'm a Warrior there's no going back… I just wish I didn't have to face them directly.

Mikasa suddenly walks forward furiously and punches me across the face. My chair nearly falls over.

"Answer the question, titan," she demands.

The way my old friends look at me like I'm some kind of monster… like I'm a terrible human being finally brought to justice. What they don't understand is that I do what I do for a purpose, and have no remorse for those who block my path…

"The answer is simple. I have an agenda that you people are getting in the way of. Only way to achieve my goals is to push you out of the way. Sometimes it involves killing, sometimes it doesn't. It's up to you guys for how much killing takes place."

"But it involves Eren, right? You said so. We're coming after you because you captured Eren," says Mikasa.

"You're correct. We _do_ need Eren, and that's final. I know he's your friend and all, but if you care about your other friends you'll just let us have him."

Mikasa punches me again, and I shoot her a smile.

"You called Eren a pawn back in Merchant's Heaven. Said he's expendable. What about _that_ little tidbit of information?"

"I was trying to make you angry, don't take it the wrong way. I still need him."

Mikasa continues this cycle of punching me across the face and asking me questions about my intentions; her fists are eventually covered with blood. I assume my face appears the same way.

_I wish… I wish he wanted to come with me. Eren, I mean… He's one of the more interesting people I've met… I'd like it if he didn't hate me. But… I know I cannot go back. I know I did things to hurt him. I'll just have to live with it… Live with him hating me every second of the way..._

_**. . .** _

_**back in the military school days** _

I look up past the morning sun in the usual spot where Eren and I train, thinking about me and Mikasa's conversation a few days ago… Thinking reasons for why that girl hates me as much as she does...

"Annie," I hear a familiar voice say from behind. I turn around to see Eren.

"Yes?"

"Knew I'd find you here. Uh… Sasha and Connie are throwing a party since it's the end of the term… I know you're not a 'people-person' but I'd really like it if you came along."

"I'll keep it in mind. When is it?"

"Tonight."

"And why do you want me to go?"

"Because you're my friend and we never do any friend stuff except for beating each other up. I don't even think that qualifies as 'friend stuff' either," he lightheartedly tells me.

"'Friend stuff'," I say, chuckling. "Funny… No one's ever wanted to do 'friend stuff' with me."

"That's surprising. You're a pretty cool person, you know that, Annie?"

"You aren't so bad yourself, Eren… Yeah. I'll go to the party. I assume it will be boring and irritating but you seem to be confident I'll enjoy it. Don't let me down, Jaeger."

_**. . .** _

_**back to the Third Day** _

_**-38 hours remain-** _

_The power… It's getting even stronger. I'm going to need it to win the inevitable battle._

_I can use it to kill Mikasa at this very moment, but I won't. I need not waste it… I can endure the petty pain she's inflicting on my body. I've endured so much physical, mental, and emotional pain throughout my life that no kind of pain affects me anymore. I've been using that to my advantage._

All but Mikasa and I left the shack-like building I'm trapped in. It's just little-old-me tied to a chair and Mikasa.

"Annie…" she furiously says under her breath after punching me for the upteenth time. "You've gotta give up sometime. I know you will…"

I shake the blood off of my face and shoot her a smile.

"I can do this all day."

And she continues. At one point, The King's voice appears in my head.

"You certainly can endure pain, girl. How many blows to the face can that frail body of yours handle?"

_I'm a titan, I have healing powers. It's not actually hurting my body, it's just inflicting pain. Something I'm used to._

"Is that why your face is starting to steam?"

_Correct._

"Why aren't you doing anything about it? I know you're able to kill her then and there… Charging up your powers, I presume?"

_Affirmative._

"You are smart for that. I will go ahead and tell you - in approximately 38 hours you will transform into a being capable of mass destruction with the simple wave of your hand… That is, if you hold off on using your powers. You will know exactly when it's time to transform. The only problem is Link. Your powers in its current form do not work on him and I'm not sure you will be able to easily kill him once it's time to end it all… His triforce of courage is what's giving his new power, I assume…"

_Triforce? What's that?_

"Nothing of importance. Nevermind that, just continue what you're doing, and keep a close eye on Link."

**. . .**

_**back in the military school days** _

Just as I'm starting to think the party I'm attending is halfway decent I spot the beast glaring at me from across the room. She paces towards me and stops right in front of me.

" _What are you doing here?_ " she asks.

"What? I can't hang out with my friends?"

"You don't have any friends, Annie."

"I'm her friend," Eren firmly tells her from behind. Mikasa turns around.

"Eren! I -"

" _Do not ruin this party for me by annoying me like usual. Do you understand?_ " he demands. She steps back, surprised, and reluctantly nods. Eren turns his head to me.

"Sorry about that, she's… overprotective. You know that."

We walk down the hall. Sasha comes by and hands us cake that her and the other girls baked.

"I don't have anything against her," I say, "I just hate the fact that she hates me for no reason. It's annoying to think about because I can't come up with a reason as to why she does."

"She's a… Complicated person, to say the least. She's been through a lot, and she's like a sister to me… Do me a favor. Give her a free pass, will you? Of course, if she ever challenges you to a fight, don't back down, but… Try to avoid conflict with her, if you will."

"Alright, fine… But I won't hold back if she comes at me."

"Oh, _that_ I know…"

**. . .**

_**Third Day** _

_**-34 hours remain-** _

I awaken in the same chair I've been tied to for quite the number of hours. Somebody's untying my hands… Once they're untied I try to jump forward and out of the chair, only to be stopped by someone grabbing my torso.

"Relax, Annie, it's me," Ymir softly tells me. "Not gonna kill you.""

"Ymir, why are you here?" I ask.

"Reiner sent me. Told me he'd kill Krista if I wasn't on his side. I was able to sneak past everybody, because… Well, let's just say I've had practice."

Once she unties my legs I stand up and stretch, feeling the strong sense of power.

"Damn, what'd they do to you?" Ymir asks me as she looks at my face.

"Beat me. They were hoping for me to give answers. I didn't."

"Well, they _do_ hate you… I mean, I kinda hate you too, but, y'know... "

"Yes, I understand. You dislike me yet you know you must work with me."

"That about sums it up," she says, as she leads me through a hall and out the building. Once she opens the door I see that it's nighttime… _I haven't eaten in forever,_ I think. _No time for that, though._

Out of nowhere, a figure falls from the sky, holding some kind of sword… _Link._ I sidestep, and he lands beside me, slashing at me with his sword… His sword has a green flame around it for some reason. I jump back, as well as Ymir, and he doesn't attack.

"Traitor…" Link says under his breath to Ymir.

"Annie, I can handle this. Go find Reiner, he's at the tree," Ymir tells me, glaring at Link. I nod, and run away from the scene. A few moments later, a lightning bolt strikes the area behind me, and before I know it Link and Ymir are fighting it out.

**. . .**

"Reiner!" I shout from below. "Reiner!"

He perks his head from above the branch from the near top of the giant tree. He hops down, grabs ahold of me, and flies back up to the tree using his ODM gear. Eren's the only other person here, and he's been knocked out.

"How did Link escape and why did Ymir try to help me?" I ask Reiner.

"Ymir told me she was going to go find you, and I knew that meant she was with us, but Link wanted to tag along with her. She said yes, but once Link stood up she pushed him off of the tree and flew away… What happened in Utopia? Why is your face steaming?"

"Mikasa tried to get answers as to where Eren is by beating me senseless, and Ymir decided to help me escape. Link came out of nowhere a few moments later, and now him and Ymir are fighting. Not much else happened."

"Mikasa, huh… She's hated you forever, hasn't she?" he asks.

**. . .**

_**back in the military school days** _

"Mikasa, why do you hate Annie so much?" he asks her from the other side of the wall.

"Because I just don't like her. It's that simple."

"Don't give me that bullshit. There's a reason, and I know it."

"Eren, _stop_ asking me. I've given you an answer who knows how many times. Asking me more won't change that."

"You only expressed your hatred of her when she started hanging out with me. What, do you think she's plotting to kill me or something?"

Mikasa replies, stuttering, "N-no! I… it's not… Look, Eren, I just don't like you hanging around her. That's all I'm ever going to say about it."

_She's…_

_Jealous._

_Mikasa Ackerman, the girl who's perfect in nearly everything, is jealous of me… all because I hang around Eren._

This is proven multiple times in the entirety of military school. We get in fights, insult each other, and hate each other's presence…

And when my life changes, I, for better or worse, really _do_ become her enemy. I also become Eren's enemy. I become humanity's enemy.

To this day, she still shares that same hatred, and I know that hatred will only grow with each new day…

**. . .**

_**Third Day** _

_**-30 hours remain-** _

Time passes. Nothing exciting happens. Nobody comes to kill us, nor does Eren ever wake up and lash out at me. Sitting on that high tree branch with Reiner and the knocked out Eren lasts for hours…

It's actually quite boring. This past week, something's always been going on. Maybe they're plotting something.

 _No,_ I think. _They're just grasping at straws. We have the advantage._

_Though, Ymir should be back with Link by now…_

I start to remember how my life was like before… Before everyone hated me. Back in the military school days. Back when life was more boring, yet still bearable… mostly due to Eren. I think about the strategies and tactics I taught Eren, which he now uses against me. I think about the first time I actually did something social… of course, Eren forced me to do it. I remember when everybody… didn't hate me. I remember when I wasn't pressured to kill _so many people_ with the most confusing justification as to why I needed to cause all of that death.

I remember when Eren thought of me as a friend instead of a cold-blooded killer.

 _Can't go back now,_ I think. _If I could, I definitely would…_

"You seem to forget there _is_ a way to go back," the voice in my head tells me.

_And what is that?_

"Link's Ocarina. If you kill him, I will tell you how to go back without affecting the timeline, and how to keep Link from coming back."

_So it's the ocarina…_

"Correct. It's capable of a lot, I'll tell you that…"

_I'll do it. I'll kill Link to return to my boring, wonderful life. And this time, I'll prevent all of this from ever happening._

_No… Using the ocarina I will stop Bertholdt from ever breaking into Wall Maria on that day many years ago. I'll prevent all the death from ever happening._

_It'll all be… Reset._

And once we get six hours of sleep in, Reiner and I head back to Utopia for the final battle.

_**Dawn of the Final Day** _

_**-24 hours remain-** _


	23. Dawn of the Final Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-four hours remain.

_**Link's Point of View** _

_**Dawn of The Final Day** _

_**-24 hours remain-** _

"Link…" Mikasa softly says as she awakens. "Why is Ymir tied up?"

I light a candle and place it on the ground, and then look at Mikasa.

"She betrayed us."

As the rest of the group awakens, I walk outside and look up into the morning sky. The sun is rising over the wall from the east, giving just enough light to see my surroundings but still causing the atmosphere to appear gloomy. The air around me is foggy, and the grass is wet.

I walk back inside and shuffle through my items bag until I find my roughed-up, golden hookshot lying at the very bottom. I study it for a brief moment, looking over how much damage has been done to it since I arrived in this new world. The trusty contraption I found in Termina still works, against all odds… I walk back outside. I look up towards the northern wall and aim my hookshot at the very top. Once I push my hookshot's button the chain flies forward until its edge digs into the top of the wall, and then _I'm_ sent flying forward. I tumble down on the top of the wall and lie down, looking into the sky.

 _Dawn of the Final Day,_ I think. _This is where it all ends._

_This is the day the past week has been leading up to, ever since I found myself in this universe._

_Who knows how far I am from home, how far I am from that old treehouse in the woods..._

I hear the sound of ODM gear and stand up to see ol' Narrow Eyes swinging up to the wall. He lands in front of me, and I notice for the first time how short he is.

"You…" he says. "You're the one who was in Shiganshina?"

"Where?"

"The outermost, southern district… When she… teleported me there. I saw _you_ , and attacked you…"

"Oh. Yeah. What about it?"

"I apologize, I was in the wrong state of mind. Annie was messing with my head. Teaching herself how to use her new powers, I suppose…"

"It's fine," I tell him, staring off in the opposite direction. There are titans down below me; they're scratching at the fifty-meter wall. Beyond that is grass, and the occasional tree. Though, a forest that's barely visible is off to the right of me. Its trees are giant, similar to Forest Cantavia's trees…

Once Levi jumps down into Utopia I sit down and dangle my legs off of the wall. I then look at my resonating triforce on my left hand. The two bottom pieces are shining more than the top. It feels like it's… getting stronger. The triforce, I mean. It's like Annie said, the power that surges through her… I'm feeling that.

But for some reason, when I wake up in the morning, it doesn't feel that much stronger, which it should…

I jump back into Utopia and approach the building the gang's staying in. Upon entering I see a woman who's seemingly interrogating Ymir. She has red hair, glasses, and looks angry.

"Don't give me that bullshit… I know this. I know what you're doing. We all do."

"And what's that?" Ymir asks the woman.

"You have your own agenda. You're not taking any sides… You're just doing whatever it takes to keep little ol' Krista safe. Well, what if," the woman says, walking away. She walks back into the room with Krista.

"What if I do _this_?"

The woman takes out a knife and holds it to Krista's neck. I almost take out my sword when Eren charges at the woman and knocks her over. He helps Krista up.

"Wha-what the hell, Hanji? Krista didn't do anything!"

"But Ymir _did_! This is the only way to have her on our side!"

"NO! Taking matters this far makes us just as bad as the titans!" Eren shouts at her.

"How… How could you say that? We're nothing like them! This-"

"She's right," Ymir says. "I'm on nobody's side. I just want Histo...Krista safe."

"So… If we _do_ keep her safe, you'll help us?" Hanji asks.

"That's correct," Ymir replies.

A couple of hours pass. The rest of the scouting legion - also referred to as the Survey Corps - wake up, and we all eat breakfast. Everyone's on the constant lookout for Annie & Reiner, and Bertholdt is under close watch at all times. His limbs grew back earlier, but they were cut off again not too long later.

I run into Armin. He's holding my ocarina.

"Hey, Link…" he says.

Armin used the Song of Time quite a lot yesterday. I was merely sitting in a tree for the most part, but after the day was reset a few times I eventually figured out how to escape from the tree.

"Can we talk?" he asks. He pulls me aside, away from the other scouts.

"What you told me in the very first timeline… about how you're not from here… I've been going over those words in my head since then, and I can't make any sense of it."

"Which parts didn't make sense?" I ask.

"You're neither from inside the walls nor outside the walls, but a land called Hyrule…"

"Ah, yes… Even that confuses me. One day I was travelling back to my homeland, Hyrule, when I woke up here. I don't know how to travel back, either…"

"Mikasa told me about this shadowy version of you following you around as well… What about that?"

"I don't know much about that either. I've seen that figure before, but it acted much different… I call him Shadow Link. I found him the first time in this temple back in Hyrule."

"So you've travelled quite a bit, huh… and you even arrived here from outside Wall Maria. I have a question. Have you ever been to a beach?"

"Yes."

"Was the water salty?"

"...yes?"

"What about a desert?"

"Uh… yes… Yeah."

"So, it was like, you could only see sand from all directions?"

"Yeah, and sometimes there would be sandstorms and I'd only be able to see a few feet in front of me."

"How'd you navigate?"

"I had… a friend."

_A friend who was ripped from my life out of nowhere, never to be seen again… She's the reason I found Termina, and ultimately how I ended up here…_

"Man… I'm jealous. I'd love to see all of what you see… It's diverse, isn't it? The lands you travel. The terrain varying from dry sand to wet, lush grass… It's so intriguing. But I bet you don't pay much attention to it because you're used to it. Over here, humanity's lived in this cage we call walls for over a hundred years. That's what _we're_ used to."

"I can understand why you're jealous, but I don't have it as good as it may seem. With all of this travelling I've done, I've yet to find my way back home."

"Hyrule?"

"Yes… the kingdom of Hyrule. I lived in a treehouse in a forest. The kids who never grow up lived alongside me."

"What do you mean, 'never grow up'?"

"I mean they literally can't grow up. They're going to be kids until the day they die. That's the day I fear the most. That seems bizarre, but in my world, bizarre is the norm… Armin, if I ever find a way out of here, I'll take you to go see all of what I take for granted, alright? I promise."

A look of joy abruptly appears on his face.

"T-thank you, Link… I'll make sure you find your way home, as well. Here's your ocari-"

Armin's no longer holding the ocarina. He stares down at his hand, confused, when I realize what's going on.

"Annie…"

I look around. Everything's normal; the scouts are walking about, talking about titans and such, Sasha's sitting alone, Eren's talking with Krista, Jean is watching Bert, and Mikasa…

...is leaning against a wall a little bit behind me. I flinch, and she notices.

"What?" she asks.

"Were you…"

"Listening?" she asks. "To some of it."

"Nevermind that," I say. "Someone took my ocarina and it's probably Annie."

"Your time-travelling instrument… How'd she take it?"

"Don't know, but I do know she did it without us noticing. Go alert everyone she's here," I tell her.

I begin to run for the exit when the roof above me suddenly implodes, and I barely manage to jump out of the way before I'm crushed. I stumble back to my feet to see the Armored Titan looking on from above at the building, and Annie in her human form… _holding my ocarina_ … standing on the titan's shoulder.

Angry, I shoot my hookshot at the titan's shoulder where Annie's standing, but she stops it with her powers before it reaches her and throws it off in another direction. I go along with it, since I'm holding on to it. Immediately upon landing in the grassy field where we fought last time I hookshot back to our temporary base but by the time I arrive back the Armored Titan is gone. Him and Annie got away with my ocarina and Ymir.

About twenty men die in that incident alone, and that serves as a wake up call to those who are alive. Narrow Eyes and the other blond commander round up everybody in one large room and the blond one starts speaking.

"According to Armin Arlert, we only have a mere day left before the Female Titan gets a supreme advantage over the Scouting Legion; furthermore, she already has one as of now. We must strike back before she can even think of a counterattack. We already drove her away not too long ago when she was with the Armored Titan, and she had already retrieved Ymir and also stole another valuable item from us, but they were unable to capture the Colossal Type titan. Prepare for the final battle, scouts, as we shall begin pursuit momentarily."

After the commander finishes, I notice Armin standing next to me.

"Oh. Hey," I say. He has a noticeable bruise on his arm.

"Annie… She said something before her and Reiner left."

"To whom?"

"I don't know. She said 'I've got the ocarina, now what?'"

"Yeah… That's kinda weird. Couple days back she was talking about the person who gave her powers, and how he wants me dead or something. Maybe she's talking to him?"

"What? When - she said that?"

"Yep. Anyway, gotta bounce," I say. I walk away.

Then, I walk past Mikasa, who says, "Link."

I don't turn around.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you going?"

"Wherever that Titan Girl is."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"No. I'll go."

I turn around and look at her. "Why?"

"I'm not going to let you go solo, child. Annie's a beast."

"If she's a beast, then I'm a demon. I've beaten her before, Mikasa."

"You beat her last time by pure luck. This is not your choice."

"Fine, whatever. Just don't die. Also, don't call me a child."

"Why? You're a child."

"I am _not_ a child, and I don't want to be called a child because it makes me feel insignificant."

"Just go," she says.

Once we walk outside Eren appears from behind us.

"I heard you guys are going for Annie alone. That mean's I'm going too," he says.

"Wait. How did you get back here? Yesterday you were knocked out on that tree branch with Annie…"

"I just kinda… woke up here. I don't know. I vaguely remember Annie telling me that 'it'll all be okay' last night, then… poof. Mikasa waking me up. So can I go?"

"No," Mikasa says.

"Why not?"

"Yeah, why not? I daresay he's more capable of fighting Annie than you, because he's a freaking titan!" I tell Mikasa.

"Every damn time he fights that girl nothing good happens."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the leader of this party because I was the first one who wanted to go alone. And I say yes to Eren coming with us."

Mikasa rolls her eyes.

"Fine. Don't die."

**. . .**

_**Final Day** _

_**-19 hours remain-** _

Since there's no way to get any horses over the Utopian wall in time, Eren, Mikasa, and I have to travel by foot. Of course, initially, I was going to travel by Goron Mask, but, y'know… That's no longer an option. Gives me time to get to know my new friends, though. Especially Eren. All I know is that he's Mikasa's brother or something and he's been through a lot.

We chat about our past, or at least _they_ chat about their past. Any time they ask me about my childhood and whatnot I give them generic answers. Mikasa eventually catches on and calls me out on it, but doesn't take it much further. Probably because around that time the titans we were hiding from earlier appear out of nowhere. We easily take them down, though. Mikasa's especially skilled at defeating titans.

Our group decides to head to a forest out in the distance, the same forest I had spotted this morning. Eren says he thinks that's where he was held yesterday, so naturally we have to investigate there first. We jog in that direction. About thirty minutes later, the forest is right in front of us.

 _Yep,_ I think. _This definitely reminds me of Forest Cantavia._

All three of us swing to the near-top of a tree and scan the forest for as far as we can see; nobody spots anything out of the ordinary. So, we hop back down and traverse the forest.

I begin to notice I've been half-expecting to see Shadow Link behind every tree. Like he's waiting for me. I still have my Goron Mask, so I can chase him down if I needed to, but… I get the feeling he's watching me from a distance. I look up and about, into the darkness of the forest and the sunlight barely shining through the dense leaves of the canopy.

And then, I hear a voice. A voice coming from someone sitting in the trees, a feminine voice I've been waiting to hear…

"Hello," Annie says from atop a tree. All three of us search for her, but don't spot anything.

"I know why you're here."

"You're here to kill me, aren't you?"

"That's… understandable."

Eren asks aloud, "Where are you, Annie? Don't be a coward!"

"Is this cowardly? I'm directly speaking to all of you from a short distance. I could go titan at this very moment, but no, I'm not going to."

"I'm not going to for the simple fact that I don't need to. Because you two, Eren and Mikasa, only need to do one thing to keep me away for good."

_Just Eren and Mikasa?_

"Give me Link."

I stop, step away from Eren and Mikasa, and look at them. I almost unsheathe my sword when Mikasa shouts, "No!"

"You misunderstood. It's just Link. Tied up, knocked out, I don't care, sent to _me_. And that's it."

I step back some more when the two look back at me with a bewildered look.

"Link, stop. We're not going to-" Mikasa tells me before the a giant shadow is cast over me.

I look behind to see one of the many massive trees falling down directly onto us. I barely manage to hop out of the way before it crashes down onto the ground.

"Link. Or I kill you."

"NO!" Mikasa shouts. She helps Eren up and looks upward. "I'm not going to."

"Fine," Annie says. A figure appears from a tree up above, and it hops down onto the ground. She walks into view with her hands glowing green.

"I'll do it myself."

Mikasa sways off to the right and around a tree to try and flank Annie, while I charge forward. Eren steps back and bites his hand. Lightning strikes from the sky down into the forest, and suddenly there's a titan with black hair standing behind me.

Annie flings herself onto a tree before Mikasa can do anything, and then pushes a tree down onto Titan Eren before _he_ can do anything. She then jumps back down and heads for Mikasa. She thrusts Mikasa into a tree with her powers. As she walks towards Mikasa, I come in from behind Annie and try to land a strike on her head. She sidesteps and kicks me to the ground.

Mikasa tries to stumble back to her feet, but once she does so Annie punches her in the face. Then, she puts Mikasa in a headlock. Her arms are glowing green.

"Link… Come with me or she dies."

"W-what?" I ask. "Why?"

" _Do it,_ or she dies, got it?"

I sigh. "Okay."

_I could've beaten her if I had my Fierce Deity Mask._

Annie punches me in the forehead and I black out.

_**Final Day** _

_**-14 hours remain-** _

I wake up and immediately soak in my surroundings; it's almost night time, I'm on top of a tree branch, and Annie is sitting on the other side of said tree branch. She's holding my ocarina.

"Tell me, Link, how does this little instrument allow you to time travel?" she asks me, curious.

"I-uh… I play songs on it."

"That's it?"

"Yes."

"Well… How far back can it time travel?"

"I don't know, I don't think it works like that…"

She stops for a moment.

"It does."

"No… It doesn't."

"Then why is he saying it _does_?"

"Who?"

"Someone. He claims you've mastered the instrument, and that you can time travel freely."

"That's a lie… It's very limited as to how I can use it."

"No… that… That doesn't make sense! You told me this instrument could bring me back… _And it can't._ "

_Is she talking to a voice in her head?_

"Bring you back when?" I ask.

She looks at me in fear. "Before Bertholdt broke into Wall Maria. I want to restart."

"Why?"

"Because I fucked up. I don't have to discuss this with you…"

She crushes the ocarina in her hand out of anger and drops its pieces onto the ground. I scream at her, and then she punches me before I can do anything. I pass out yet again.

_**Night of the Final Day** _

_**-6 hours remain-** _

I awaken on a wall. I look around me and see Annie, watching me closely. I see District Utopia out in front of us. It's very dark.

_It's almost time for that form she takes… And there's no stopping it._

"Link," I hear a feminine voice say.

"What?" I ask. Annie gives me a confused look.

"Link, Hero of Time… Do not fear. You are not alone."

 _Who is this?_ I think.

"That does not matter… This girl you see in front of you is nothing but a mere puppet. She's not going to get what she's promised. She's being used."

_By who?_

"By the man who currently holds Hyrule captive."

"Not too long ago, you felt something awaken within you. That was me… That was when I arrived. That's how I'm able to speak with you… And I'm going to make you even more powerful for a short time."

_How?_

"I'm going to give you the Triforce of Wisdom."

And suddenly, power surges through me. I look at my left hand to see the bottom two pieces of the triforce shining. Annie stands up, seemingly surprised.

"Why are… Why are your eyes… black?" she asks. "How…"

_It's the power of the Triforce…_

She tries to push me away with her powers. I don't move an inch. I unsheathe my sword. It's still engulfed with green flames. I step forward, and Annie whimpers for a second. Then, her body appears limp.

Her eyes go white.

A black triforce appears on her right hand.

She looks at me with a furious face.

"HERO OF TIME, WHY DID YOU LEAVE?" she asks in a distorted voice.

"YOU LEFT YOUR PEOPLE. WHY?"

I don't answer.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND. YOU MADE IT EASY TO TAKE OVER HYRULE. I RESORTED TO SENDING THIS SHAMELESS DISPLAY AFTER YOU. NOW, YOU HOLD TWO PIECES OF THE TRIFORCE. THIS IS INTERESTING."

"I'LL BE THERE SHORTLY," she says before she drops to the ground. I look down at her.

"W-what… What just happened?" she asks.

"You're being used."

"Huh?"

"The man, the voice in your head… He's using you."

I jump down into Utopia. I run to the building my friends are at and meet them. I spot Mikasa first, and she runs towards me.

"Link! How - why - what is going on? Why are your eyes… _What did Annie do to you?_ "

I ignore her.

"Annie is currently atop the Utopian wall. She's waiting for her powers to charge. HURRY, WE MUST STRIKE NOW!" I shout. Everybody in the room initially looks scared, but then they begin readying themselves.

I walk back outside to see Annie standing on the wall, looking down on us with white eyes. She holds her right hand up and I see two pieces of a dark triforce shining. She hops down into the district and suddenly, lightning strikes from above and down into Utopia. She begins her transformation into a titan.

And, before my eyes, the monstrosity I saw when I played the Song of Double time appears before me. It's taller than the wall itself, has a deformed, freaky face, and bright green eyes with no pupils. She waves her hand in our direction; the entire building the scouts are residing in collapses, and all of the people near me are thrown about. I'm the only one unaffected.

The titan raises her right hand and points the back of it towards me; the bottom of the upside-down, dark triforce is shining. I do the same with my left hand; the bottom two parts of my triforce are shining as well.

Before coming at me, Annie in her… _super_ titan form destroys the wall behind her with ease; then, she spots Reiner running behind her on portion of the wall not destroyed Reiner, seemingly ecstatic, jumps down into Utopia with his ODM gear and runs toward all of the rubble. Probably looking for Bertholdt.

I land my hookshot on Annie's leg, and I go flying forwards. Initially, she doesn't notice, but once I land a strike on her ankle she shakes her leg, but I don't budge. Then, I crawl on her leg for a bit, hookshot her elbow, and I'm sent up into the air. I land on her arm. She shakes her arm, and manages to fling me towards the wall; I hookshot her nose before I hit the wall. Once I reach her face, I strike her green eye and she screeches.

"End it, Link," the voice in my head tells me.

_I'm trying._

Mikasa comes flying by. She lands on Annie's head, and Annie doesn't notice.

"LINK! REINER HAS BERTHOLDT, AND THEY'RE PLANNING TO GO TITAN! HURRY UP AND KILL HER!" she yells.

I looks back at her and nod. She jumps off of Annie and heads towards the other scouts, watching in awe of the sight they're seeing. A kid, as they put it, climbing a 60-meter monstrosity and tearing it to pieces.

I strike Annie's other eye, but by the time I do _that_ her other eye's regenerated. A few moments later her entire body starts shaking, and I fly off. She begins sprinting. Sprinting towards the central Utopian city. I immediately hookshot in her direction, but she turns back and breaks my hookshot with the wave of her giant hand.

_Dammit! She's broken too many items of mine…_

_I can still do this._

I take out my Goron Mask. I turn into a Goron and begin zooming past all of the injured scouts and under the recently-transformed Armored Titan, who's fighting Mikasa and Eren. I zoom into the city, after Titan Girl, as she causes as much destruction as possible around her. I zoom past the FRs, bewildered by the events transpiring in District Utopia, not knowing that blindly following monsters such as Annie and Reiner has consequences.

Annie turns around and punches the ground; her fist is as large as the entire road. The surrounding city's buildings simultaneously collapse. Death surrounds me. Families are being destroyed before my very eyes.

Similar to the last two times I've been put in this situation, I'm the only one that can stop said death…

I jump up into the air, still a Goron, and transform back into a Hylian, quickly unsheathing my sword - _my Sword of Green Flame._ I land on Annie's upper leg. I begin climbing when she starts sprinting again. I reach her back and hang off of it to take a moment to look behind me; everything behind Annie is nothing but rubble and half-alive humans. Anger overwhelms me. I turn back around and begin climbing, constantly digging my sword into Annie's titan skin. I reach the nape.

Her entire neck crystallizes, but I easily slice through it with my sword… Probably due to the green powers Annie left on it. I stab her nape, but nothing happens. She turns her head a bit. One of her eyes is still steaming. Then, she grabs me from off of her back and hurls me across the district. I transform into a Goron while in midair, and safely land on the other side of Utopia without a scratch. I turn back into a Hylian to see Reiner and Bertholdt standing on the wall. They're watching all of the titans enter Utopia… Yes, that's why Annie broke through the wall.

"LINK!" Mikasa yells. I turn towards her to see her looking in the opposite direction; she's looking at Annie, sprinting toward me. I try to jump out of the way but I'm too late; she slashes at the ground and manages to fling me over the wall and into titan territory. I look at both of my bloody hands for a moment. My ring finger on my right hand it missing.

"H-how…?" I barely manage to sputter out before Annie crashes through what's left of the wall she's caused so much damage to. She looks down on me.

"He said… He said all I had to do was kill you, " Annie's voice says telepathically.

_Why?_

"He promised if I did… Everything would be okay. He said that even though I broke the ocarina out of frustration… he would still find a way. That's not true, is it…?"

_You can't go back. You killed so many people, and for what reason? We all regret the past sometimes. But you just have to move forward._

"How?"

"How would I be able to do that?"

I stumble to my aching feet and glare at the giant titan standing before me.

_I'll give you another chance._

_I'll find you a new life._

_I'll bring you to a world where no one knows who you are._

"But I… I don't want that! I want this world… Just not this version of the world. Not the version where I'm this... this monster."

_It's your choice. Live here in fear that the people you used to be close to will kill you at any second, or live somewhere where you can start anew. Give yourself a new name. Be a different person. Not cause destruction. Look at what you've done… That's something you can't go back on. That's something you can't undo. But this… This is your best shot._

She stands there for a moment.

Then, miraculously, her titan begins steaming, and a figure hops out of it. I turn into a Goron and roll forward.

"I DON'T CARE" she shrieks. "I DON'T EVEN WANT THESE POWERS OF DESTRUCTION ANYMORE! I DON'T CARE THAT YOU CAN TAKE MY TITAN AWAY! I JUST DON'T… _I just don't care._ "

"Are you talking to the voice in your head?" I ask.

She whimpers, on her knees, "Yes. I'm… I'm not going to let him control me anymore."

"How can he take your titan powers away?"

"I don't know, but he said he can… He said he's been studying this world… And he knows. But he can't threaten me with that because I just don't care…"

Her dark-triforce disappears and her visible wounds aren't automatically healing. I look down at the sobbing mess of one of the most feared humans in this universe.

_So she's just a regular girl now… Not a Titan Girl._

I bring her on top of the Utopian Wall. Of course, not the central portion, as all of that has been destroyed. I bring her to the other side, away from all of the other people.

"Annie… Tell me, which universe sounds better, Hyrule, or Termina?"

"Hyrule sounds cooler," she chuckles. "I'll get to stay there? I can be a normal girl?"

"You'll be a normal girl in a strange world, I'll tell you that. Annie… It's going to be okay. Maybe one day you can come back to this world and redeem yourself for all of the damage you've caused."

"Yes… That will stick with me forever, I'm afraid. But I know there's no going back. Link, do I really deserve the chance to start fresh?"

"YOU DON'T!" a voice shouts. I look behind me to see Eren swinging up with ODM gear. He lands by Annie.

"YOU DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING BUT PAIN!" he screams at her. I run over to stop him but Mikasa flies up and stops me. Even though I have the power of two Triforce pieces, Mikasa still holds an iron grip on my torso.

He pins Annie down. She doesn't struggle. Eren begins repeatedly punching her in the face.

"Tell me, Annie… What was going through your head when you killed Connie? When you killed Petra? Oluo? Eld? Gunther? What were you thinking when you murdered thousands of people, for what? _WHAT REASON DID YOU HAVE, ANNIE?_ "

"I… I thought we had something. I thought you and I were friends. I knew we were eventually going to go our separate ways after military school, but I was wrong… You came back. As a titan. As a murderer."

Annie barely manages to say, "We did have something."

Eren gets even angrier and strikes her already bloody face.

"WHAT DID IT MEAN TO YOU? WHAT DID ANY OF THIS MEAN TO YOU? Why…" Eren says. He begins crying a little.

"Why did you go and throw it all away?"

"Eren… I'm sorry…" she tells him.

"I was the one to deny it at first. I didn't want to believe you caused that much death. I didn't want to believe you were working with the titans that caused my mom to die. _I defended you._ AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT YOUR LIFE TO BE? Now that you're beaten, you're trying to show your humanity… How pitiful.

Eren stops punching Annie and hangs her over District Utopia.

"You're no human…"

"And neither am I," he says before he drops her. She falls down the fifty meter wall and then strikes the ground in a pool of blood. I break Mikasa's grip and run towards Eren, crying.

"You… You killed her," I say.

"She'll heal."

"No… Her titan powers have been taken from her. Same with her green powers. Now, she's just… a regular human."

Eren looks down on Annie's dead body.

"Then good riddance."

"Link, what happened to your finger?" Mikasa asks.

"It was lost in the midst of battle. I'll be fine."

_Yes… I've lost a finger. And my Mirror Shield. And my Fierce Deity Mask. And my ocarina. And my hookshot._

_And I don't even know how many people I've lost back in Hyrule… Who knows what's going on over there…_

Reiner and Bertholdt escape as the scouts try to kill the titans that have entered Utopia. Fraternity Rose arrives, and, for once, are actually helpful. They help with the titans, and patch me up along with the other injured soldiers. All of the other citizens that are still alive arrive as well.

While everything is fixed I find myself sitting down on the wall by my fellow friends: Mikasa, Eren, Armin, Sasha, Jean, and Krista.

"What happened to Ymir?" I ask. Krista looks up at me.

"She ended up helping us defeat Reiner. She's still not entirely off the hook, but I know her… I think she's going to be fine."

"What comes next?" Jean asks. "Most of the Scouting Legion was killed, and this entire district is destroyed… Not to mention Stohess, Zingi, Merchant's Heaven, Ehrmich…"

"We rebuild," Sasha says. For the first time since Connie died, she doesn't look depressed.

"We rebuild not only our cities, but also our souls… Our relationships… Our mind… We move forward."

"Wow, Sasha, I didn't know you could come up with that," Jean says. Sasha half-smiles.

 _It's all over,_ I think. _I defeated Annie. She's no longer a threat to this world. These people can live freely._

_I can finally start searching for a way home._

"You know, guys… Despite seeing so many horrible things since I've been here, it hasn't been that bad hanging around you guys."

Mikasa turns her head to me. She smiles;Mikasa _never_ smiles.

"You aren't so bad yourself, Link…"

_And, ultimately, I know deep in my heart Annie would never lead a normal life again. I know what I was telling her was a lie, and I know she didn't deserve to be given a second chance. I understand why Eren killed her…_

_I guess I just don't like seeing so much death. It's haunting._

_But, amidst that death, there's beauty in this world. And now, that beauty has a chance to shine._

_**Dawn of a New Day** _

* * *

**_-Rest in Peace-_ **

**Crespo**   
**Lyssa Pearson**   
**Connie Springer**   
**Annie Leonhart**


	24. Part Two: The Antitriforce Preview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preview for the next set of madness.

**A/N: Hello! I decided to upload this as a preview and also include other stuff.**

**Beta Reader:** I am in need of a beta reader for To Hyrule and Back Again. I used to have my English teacher proofread them, but now I can no longer do that. If you're willing to betaread, please PM me, it'd be appreciated.

 **Twitter:** I host multiple twitter polls regarding my stories and need more votes for said polls; I also show previews on my twitter account as well as ramble about daily life. But mainly polls and previews. My twitter is "byzeldro". Also, I post on tumblr, but not as much - my tumblr is "zeldro".

 **Original Story:** I've been planning to write an original story for quite some time, but I know if I posted it on somewhere like Fictionpress or Wattpad it wouldn't do well. So I've decided to tweak it a bit and turn it into a fanfiction. The story resembles the Fallout series the most, as part of the story takes place in a nuclear apocalypse. But it doesn't have alternate history or anything like that, like Fallout does, but in order to make it a Fallout fanfiction I'm including things like Deathclaws, Mirelurks, Raiders, etc.

 **Profile:** I used to use my profile page for updates, then slowly moved to twitter. So I've been considering to remove it since I'm always late with the few updates I post there. I don't know.

 **SAO Restarted:** I haven't been working on that fanfiction lately because I wanted to finish up part one of THaBA. I'll try to get a few more chapters out before part 2 begins. Speaking of part 2...

 **IMPORTANT:** There's two polls on my twitter profile that, if you follow this story, should vote in.

**Review Response for Chapter 22: Dawn of the Final Day (from Fanfiction.net)**

**Guest:** Not gonna lie, Eren was a bit of a hypocrite in this chapter, guess while he says that he doesn't want to become as bad as the titans, he already has. He's has already become like them if anything.  
If anything, if Ganondorf is going to appear in this story, I can see him manipulating Eren, corrupting his mind, using his own anger against him, and turn him into his servant.  
Poor Annie, I really wanted her to have a chance at redemption, but now, I hope that she is in a better place.  
Also, looks like Mikasa is definitely going to have Link's back now. I guess the fact she is smiling shows that huh?  
Hope Link gets all of his gear that was broken fixed and his finger back.

I guess you're right about Eren. He even implied he was a monster like Annie by saying, "You're no human... and neither am I" before killing her. And that definitely seems like it could happen, the Ganondorf controlling Eren, I mean. Eren's a conflicted person.

Mikasa has grown to like and respect Link for all he's done and what he's experienced. While she doesn't know that much about him, she can tell he's seen things. Like her. Their trust will be put to the ultimate test pretty soon, as well.

**Gussy Phantom:** That was so good! The whole fight scene was very well written and gripping. The whole story has been the way, actually. I'm glad that Zeke hasn't shown up quite yet. That last battle would have been much worse for the Scouts if he had. But it'll be awesome if he makes an appearance later! I'm still kinda thinking that voice in Annie's head was Ganon/Ganondorf, but after this last chapter, I'm as sure as I was before. As for the voice in Link's head, at first I thought it might be Navi or Saria. But then she gave him the Triforce of Wisdom. So I it would make more sense for it to be Zelda, since she holds that part of the Triforce, or maybe even Hylia. But those are just my theories. I'll be happy to wait and find out. I am a bit sad that Annie died. I mean, she was different than how she was before. She...changed. All she really wanted was to stop Bertholdt from ever breaking the Wall. She just wanted a normal life where she could have her friends back and not have to worry about them hating her or trying to kill her. I do understand why Eren thought she should die, but everyone, even Annie, deserves a second chance. I just hope she's happy now. Again, amazing chapter! It was a satisfying end to this arc. I can't wait for part 2! Keep up the great work! :D

Thank you so much! As is usual, most if not all will be revealed sooner or later, so stay tuned. You've reviewed all of my chapters since you've started reading, and I can't thank you enough because reviews like yours are what motivates me to write more.

_In To Hyrule and Back Again part two, Link faces multiple threats - some from the world he's currently stuck in, and some from Hyrule._

_After living at the Scout HQ for a bit and clearing out the titans from Wall Rose, Link starts to think this universe is no longer under any significant threats and considers his options of how to find his way home. That thought is taken back when Fraternity Rose, the strange organization with a strange agenda, comes back for revenge when everybody least expects it._

_At the same time, threats from Hyrule come into play. Shadow Link becomes more and more dangerous by the day. Link's Triforce resonates stronger by the day. And the feeling that something... another holder of the Triforce... is coming closer increases by the day._

_With multiple problems in multiple universes, Princess Zelda in the form of Sheik is the only person that can warn Link before it's too late. Hyrule's already been taken over, and in order for Hyrule to not end up like Ganondorf made it, the Hero of time must take action._

**Preview**

_**Link's Point of View** _

"Link..."

"Link, wake up…"

"Link!"

I open my eyes to see Mikasa standing in front of me. I'm leaning up against a large oak tree in the middle of a field… I feel really damn tired, as well, for some reason.

"Come on, let's get back to HQ before it gets dark," she tells me, holding her hand out. I grab her hand and she pulls me up.

I look out in the distance at the plains surrounding me, and the wall even further out in the distance. It's peaceful, and quiet. Life has been that way for quite some time now. And I'm loving it.

"There hasn't been any titan spottings for a few days," I say. I turn my head to Mikasa. "You think all of them are dead?"

She gazes at the sight in front of us.

"Maybe. We can't be too sure, though. It's… It's always when you least expect it that everything changes."

I hold up my left hand and look at my Triforce. The bottom two pieces are still resonating. It's even emitting a low noise. Weird.

"What's that?" Mikasa asks.

"The Triforce… It's… it's been shining like this for a while now. Ever since the day Annie died. It's very distracting."

"I've noticed," she replies.

I take out my map I've been working on since I arrived here. I mark "Resting Tree" at my current spot. Then, Mikasa and I begin travelling back to the Scout HQ; I've been staying there for a bit. It's a fairly nice place. I even have my own room.

Over to the left of me is what's called "Misery Hills" - a very hilly terrain that I hate travelling through. I notice a figure standing atop a hill. Upon closer inspection, I realize who it is.

It's Shadow Link. He's holding his right hand up. His upside-down, dark Triforce is shining. He doesn't attack me or run away; he just holds the position. It's kinda unnerving. He's pointing his Triforce towards me… kind of like he's trying to tell me something.

I wonder what that thing's called, I think. His upside down Triforce...

I know. I'll call it the Antitriforce. Yeah. That sounds catchy.

I look at Mikasa, who isn't staring at Shadow Link, and then back at Shadow Link. Except he's not there. He's… gone. Disappeared.

That was… creepy, to say the least.

_**To Hyrule and Back Again will return in Part Two: The Antitriforce** _


	25. Enter Maxus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxus enters.

_**To Hyrule and Back Again** _

_**Part 2: The Antitriforce ** _

Back in Hyrule, things aren't going too well.

The monarchy was overthrown and replaced by a dictatorship.

Ganondorf escaped from his execution.

The Hero of Time is nowhere to be found.

And so after enduring this for far too long, I decided to find Link using my Triforce of Wisdom; I found out he was in another universe, and the man that overthrew the government had already sent two people after him.

I take matters into my own hands and sneak into Hyrule Castle. I find the portal created by our new king and enter it.

I, Princess Zelda, will find Link and warn him about Hyrule before it's too late. And this time, we'll hit hard, and I'll make sure Hyrule doesn't end up like last time.

_**Link's Point of View** _

"Link..."

"Link, wake up…"

"Link!"

I open my eyes to see Mikasa standing in front of me. I'm leaning up against a large oak tree in the middle of a field… I feel really damn tired, as well, for some reason.

"Come on, let's get back to HQ before it gets dark," she tells me, holding her hand out. I grab her hand and she pulls me up.

I look out in the distance at the plains surrounding me, and the wall even further out in the distance. It's peaceful, and quiet. Life has been that way for quite some time now.

"There hasn't been any titan spottings for a few days," I say. I turn my head to Mikasa. "You think all of them are dead?"

She gazes at the sight in front of us.

"Maybe. We can't be too sure, though. It's… It's always when you least expect it that everything changes."

I hold up my left hand and look at my Triforce. The bottom two pieces are still resonating. It's even emitting a low noise. Weird.

"What's that?" Mikasa asks.

"The Triforce… It's… it's been shining like this for a while now. Ever since the day Annie died. It's very distracting."

"I've noticed," she replies.

I take out my map I've been working on since I arrived here. I mark "Resting Tree" at my current spot. Then, Mikasa and I begin travelling back to the Scout HQ; I've been staying there for a bit. It's a fairly nice place. I even have my own room.

Over to the left of me is what's called "Misery Hills" - a very hilly terrain that I hate travelling through. I notice a figure standing atop a hill. Upon closer inspection, I realize who it is.

It's Shadow Link. He's holding his right hand up. His upside-down, dark Triforce is shining. He doesn't attack me or run away; he just holds the position. It's kinda unnerving. He's pointing his Triforce towards me… kind of like he's trying to tell me something.

 _I wonder what that thing's called,_ I think. _His upside down Triforce..._

_I know. I'll call it the Antitriforce. Yeah. That sounds catchy._

I look at Mikasa, who isn't staring at Shadow Link, and then back at Shadow Link. Except he's not there. He's… gone. Disappeared.

_That was… creepy, to say the least._

"Mikasa," I say. She turns her head to me whilst walking about the field.

"Yes?"

"Remember when I was in that restaurant in Ehrmich, and you confronted me?"

"Yeah."

"It feels like that was yesterday. You know? Time passes so quickly."

"You're right," she replies. "They say time passes quicker as you get older…"

 _Time is weird,_ I think. _I have a love-hate relationship with time._

_It's a problem every living thing in the universe faces…_

We approach the Scout HQ. Mikasa knocks on the giant, wooden door. We're greeted by a few people all wearing green garbs.

_Most of the scouts were wiped out in Utopia… I'd say there's about twenty left, give or take._

_And a kid, merely eleven years old, had his arm torn off… Alex is his name. He no longer has a home, so he hangs out here._

"Usually, us scouts are allowed to roam freely in between missions and training," Mikasa tells me. "For now, though, we all have to stay here…"

"Then why were all of the scouts here when I came?" I ask.

"I don't know…"

I walk upstairs and into the dormitory section of HQ and enter my room. I crash onto my bed. I reach into my pocket for my ocarina. The cold realization that my most precious possession is now gone hits me, and hits me hard. That instrument was the royal family's, it's what Zelda gifted to me, it was… it was what saved two different universes.

_I guess you could say it saved this one, as well…_

Someone knocks on the door. I sit up in the bed and say, "Yeah?"

"Can I come in?" asks Sasha. I hop off if the bed and open the door. She has a serious expression on her face.

"What's up?" I ask.

She sits down on my bed.

"I… I need some advice."

She continues, "I don't want to ask you about your past, because obviously you don't like talking about it, but… I… Just… I can't… Link, how do you deal with death?"

My eyes widen when I realize she's still mourning Connie's death. She hasn't seemed that sad lately.

"Is this about Connie?"

"I'm talking in general, but yes."

"People go about dealing with loss in different ways, Sasha. Some shut everyone out for a while. Some act like nothing's wrong. Some cry themselves to sleep every night."

"And some… Like me, some latch onto their closest friends and family, and let them share their grief. Guide you. Build you back up."

As I'm talking, memories of my past flood my mind. I remember all of my friends. I remember sleeping in really late, and waking up to Saria, and her blissful smile… I remember when I would occasionally spend the night at Lon Lon Ranch with Malon and her father. I remember that first moment I met Zelda, and her expression when we first made eye contact… I snap out of it when I realize Sasha's repeating my name.

"Link. Link!"

"W-what? Oh, sorry," I tell her.

"You're… crying."

I feel my eyes and wipe the tears off of my face. Sasha looks at me for a moment, and then hugs me.

"Link… thank you."

I spend the rest of the day sitting in that same room. While sitting in said room I take out an empty book I had found in HQ. I write the word "JOURNAL" on the front. I take a look at its cover.

_I've always thought about documenting my adventures. Never went through with it though, because I was always on the move. Now, I have more time…_

I turn to the first page. I write about my time in this universe, from the moment I was transported into that field to present day; I describe my thoughts as best as possible. Once I'm done with that, I turn to a new page. I write "Day 1" at the top.

_In case you're wondering, the reason I put "Day 1" is because this is the first day I started writing in this journal. I was really bored and decided to start jotting down my time here… So, now that I'm done with that, I've got nothing else to do. Maybe I'll keep writing in here. Maybe I'll forget about this in like a week or not feel motivated enough to do so. Who knows?_

After I write that last word the door opens, and I see Armin standing in the doorway.

**. . .**

"Just a week and a half ago us scouts faced the greatest threat humanity's ever had," the tall, blond Commander Erwin says. He's standing in front of all of the scouts, as well as me, outside of HQ. Oak trees surround the area.

"We triumphed, but there were casualties. Lots of them. The Female Titan and her two allies wished to destroy humanity for unknown reasons but we didn't let her."

"I've also gotten reports that most, if not all of the titans in Wall Rose have been wiped out. If that is true, then we can rest easy knowing we've saved the world. But our journey does not stop there - the Colossal and Armored Titans are still about, and other enemies who seem to have interfered with our mission exist as well."

"Fraternity Rose," Sasha says under her breath.

"Defeating Annie, without a doubt, was and always will be our hardest challenge. The fact that we've beaten such a monstrosity only comes to show how we can handle further problems. "

"I've come to bring you all here today to tell you that we're merging with the Garrison Regiment - we will restore order to this land and work together to protect it."

Everybody gasps, and a few seconds later seem very happy. There are only about twenty-five of us, so I'm guessing a merger wouldn't be too bad.

"Our first mission is simple: help the people. The cities of Zingi, Merchant's Heaven, Ragako, and the districts of Yarckel, Stohess, and Ehrmich are among the places that were subject to Annie's destruction. Some were hit more than others, but all need to be brought to attention."

The commander assigns us into groups and tells us to travel to a certain town. Luckily enough, I'm with Sasha, Armin, Mikasa, Krista, and Jean - we're in a group since we were one of the original groups to take down Annie. Another scout is assigned with us, as well.

We're told to travel to the city that was hit the hardest: Zingi.

**. . .**

_Day Two_

_Very, very early in the morning_

_So, I woke up just a few minutes ago and can't go back to sleep. It's about five o'clock AM._

_Might as well write stuff. Where do I start…_

_Well, me and a few friends are supposed to go to Zingi to help the people there because their home was destroyed, at least a good chunk of it. We leave in about two hours. We're also supposed to "spread the word" about the new merger with another regiment… It starts with a G, I think? I don't know._

_I'm going to pack everything I own just in case. I'll be back._

_Alright, I'm back. I packed everything. Really wish I had my hookshot. And ocarina. And Fierce Deity Mask. I have a few pieces of my FD mask, but that's it. Maybe some magic stuff can heal it one day._

I close the journal and stuff it in my items bag. Two hours later, everyone's awake and ready to go. I slurp down my third cup of coffee and walk outside. Mikasa and the others are standing there.

"We ready?" I ask.

"Yeah, we're waiting on one more person," Mikasa answers.

"I'm right here," a voice says from behind. I turn around. There's a tall dude standing there, with shaggy, blond hair.

And we head off. I ride my horse, Epona, alongside the carriage in which everyone else is riding in. Our group traverses the semi-hilly terrain whilst gaping at the sunrise to the left of us. It's very beautiful. We stop by a place known as Lake Scintill; I remember the lake from the time I was trying to find Scout HQ. After a short break, the journey is continued, and we move our way south.

A few hours later, we pass by District Yarckel. We don't stop, but I do reminisce my time there, even though it included quite a few bad experiences. Shadow Link, Crespo, the Arrowhearts… That place had a lot going on. Yarckel has a small neighborhood residing just outside its exit, but it's abandoned due to the fear of titans out and about.

The sun's directly above us when we pass by a city known as Merchant's Heaven. Mikasa, apparently, had quite the time here; it isn't that badly damaged, though, so none of the Scouts are coming there to help. Plus, I've heard they've got a good deal of FRs with ODM gear so I think they're good.

Not too long later, I notice the grass around me seeming familiar. Wall Sina is visible to the left of me, and according to my map, Zingi's directly ahead.

 _Zingi Field,_ I think. _Good 'ol times._

Out of nowhere, the carriage beside me stops, and gasps & yells erupt. I hop off of Epona to see the commotion.

One look inside of the carriage gives me all of the information I need: the one-armed Alex, hiding beneath some kind of trapdoor that's opened on the floor of the vehicle.. Everybody inside looks at him in confusion. He climbs out.

"Wha- how?" asks Jean. "How are you - why is the -"

Mikasa interrupts Jean, and firmly asks, "Alex, what the hell are you doing here?"

He stutters, "I-I wanted to come along."

"Wait. Who is this kid?" Eren asks. Krista and the other blond scout looks equally as confused as Eren.

"He's Alex, someone who came along with us while we were hunting Annie. He lives at the Scout HQ, or at least he's _supposed_ to be," Armin says. "Alex, when did you get in the carriage? How long has this fake-floor thing been here?"

"I've been working on it since I heard you guys were leaving."

Underneath the trap door is a small room-like place that Alex has been apparently staying in for the entire ride. There's a pillow, a couple of blankets, food, and a lantern.

_I knew the room inside the carriage looked a little small…_

"Are we going to bring him back or something? Because we're burning daylight, and we probably need to be there pretty soon," I say.

Armin thinks for a second.

"He can come, it's not like we're dealing with anything dangerous anyway."

We continue, this time, knowing Alex is tagging along. Around the time we make it to Zingi, the sun is already beginning to set, and everybody's ready to settle down.

Like last time, some portions of the city are untouched, and others are completely demolished. There's also much more people here than I thought there would be. Most are living in tents outside their destroyed homes, some are helping the ones who lost everything, and some are seemingly going about their daily lives.

"Alright," Armin says. "Erwin wrote a letter that we're supposed to give to some ranking official here, or at least spread the word of the message."

"What message?" Jean asks.

"That the Scouts have taken care of everything are are willing to help. Also that we're merging with the Garrison."

Armin continues, "That's the gist of the letter, it's just that the letter goes into detail about everything that happened. It doesn't however mention the fact that the Armored and Colossal titans are still out there, just that we 'won' in Utopia."

"Won isn't the word I'd use," Jean says. "I'd say… Survived."

"Alright… Time to assign jobs.

In the midst of Armin's conversation I notice a certain dark figure in the corner of my eye. I can almost… sense it. Sense some kind of dark, growing power… I swerve around to see nobody there.

"Link," Armin says.

"Yes?"

"You and Mikasa are going to this area," he tells me, pointing somewhere on a map of Zingi.

"It's the most dangerous part of Zingi, or at least it _was,_ so you two need to go there and sort things out. We'll handle everything else. Got it?"

"Got it."

The sun looming out in front of us, Mikasa and I travel through Zingi. As we do so, I recognize some of the areas I was fighting Annie in… I stare at the demolished buildings surrounding me. That one night, as I sprinted across those rooftops, when I had all the power in the world… That was the night I saved the city.

Or at least I convinced myself that I did. Seeing all of the destruction the battle caused, all of the lives taken, I wonder if battling her then and there caused more harm than it did good. All it did was let her know how powerful I was, which wasn't very good in the long run.

Whatever. It's in the past.

"Link, we're here," Mikasa says.

"Already?"

"Yes. Do you remember what Armin said to tell everybody?"

"No, not really."

"Then I'll handle it. Just keep an eye out, okay?"

I nod, and Mikasa walks off into a very shady part of Zingi. It doesn't seem to be affected by Annie; well, at least not _directly_ affected. The streets are dark, there are no horses or carriages around, and all of the windows & doors are blockaded. It seems like a great deal of looting has been happening here; all of the non-blockaded buildings have broken windows, demolished doors, and an interior with nothing but broken glass & wood inside.

At the same time, there are plenty of people walking about this portion of town. They don't really interact with one another, but don't seem to be afraid of each other's presence. Most are carrying weapons; the ones that aren't are accompanied by ones that _do._

 _This is a peculiar place,_ I think.

I spot Mikasa talking to a group of people in front of a relatively large building.

One of them says to her, "You don't get it! The Scouts… They aren't saviours! Every group claims that… FR, Z-Guild, even the corrupted Military Police say they're the good guys. I should know, I've been apart of the latter two."

"What will it take to convince you?" Mikasa asks the man. Everybody else looks at her questioningly. "Whatever it is, it will happen."

"Look, girl, I know you mean well, but I've been through this several times… New guild comes along, says they're the good guys, ends up doing shady stuff and collapses. It's the same thing. If you're _that_ hell-bent on getting your message across, why don't you protect us until we're able to defend ourselves?"

"From who?"

"Are you braindead? Fraternity Rose!"

"W-wha?" she says, bewildered.

"Yes! They captured this city yesterday, and are already headed for some other districts! It was an easy taking, you remember what happened a couple of weeks ago, right? Giant titan attack?"

_Fraternity Rose… In this city…_

_This is bad._

"Mikasa!" I yell. She looks over to me, still with a bewildered expression.

"We gotta go get Armin," she says. " _Right now._ "

 _I haven't seen any FRs since I've gotten here. Could it be,_ I think...

_Could it be they're hiding in the form of normal citizens?_

One of the people in the group Mikasa was speaking to pulls out a handgun and points it at the man who was previously talking. Said man immediately punches the gun out of his hand and stabs him in the chest.

"F-fraternity Rose… They've taken over Zingi…" I say.

The stabbed undercover FR man bleeds out in a matter of a few minutes; Mikasa and I frantically run around the area, scared out of our minds. _Was that the only FR here?_ I think.

That man who killed the FR finds us running around and says, "They've arrived."

And suddenly, blue-shirted people start appearing around me. Gunshots erupt, and in a matter of seconds chaos has ensued the area. I shoot a couple with my bow. I quickly realize we're outnumbered. All of the people in the city are forced into an alleyway, including me and Mikasa; one FR, wearing a green shirt, steps forward.

"Looks like things around here have gotten out of hand pretty darn quickly," he says aloud. "Worry not, as we're only here for the bad guys."

 _Bad guys?_ I think, ready to take out my sword. _But you are the bad guys…_

"You there, I was told you were a former Z-Guild member," the tall, dark haired man says. He's talking to the man who stabbed the undercover FR.

"Is that true?" he asks him.

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"Yes, there is."

And the green-shirted man pulls out a knife from the side of his large belt and throws it forward. It strikes the man's neck, and he falls to the ground.

"Listen, fellas, we're not here to cause trouble. We're here to bring order. See, to have order, you have to get rid of disorder."

He walks over to the dead man and pulls his knife out of his neck. He casually places it back in his pouch.

"When disorder such as this man exists, it needs to be eliminated."

I notice the nametag on the green-shirted man: _Lex Arrowheart._

_Arrowheart… I know that name…_

"And as for you two," he says, looking at me and Mikasa, "there is no need for you Scouts to be in this city - in any of the southern Wall Rose cities, in fact. You don't cause trouble, we won't as well."

Mikasa shoots Lex a threatening glare.

"We aren't going anywhere."

Lex sighs and looks to the ground.

"Very well."

He looks towards one of the blue-shirted FRs, a girl FR.

"Avery, be a dear and go tell _him_ there's a code blue, if you will."

"Y-yes sir!" she enthusiastically responds before she runs off.

"Listen up, everyone who's _not_ an idiot, go into your homes. Stay there until told otherwise. Anyone who fails to comply will be shot on sight."

All of the men and women shuffle off into their blockaded homes. It's just me, Mikasa, and Fraternity Rose.

I look at Mikasa. She nods at me before I even speak; I assume that means she's ready. I nod back.

"As for the others," Lex says, "pray for a quick and painless death."

Lex bites down on his hand. Lightning strikes down from above, and the surrounding area is instantly blown to bits; I'm thrown backwards, as well as everyone else. Once I'm back on my feet, I see a very tall titan standing before me.

_**Armin's Point of View** _

The sound of a lightning strike resonates in the distance all of a sudden; I stop what I'm doing and look in that direction.

"What in the world?" I mutter to myself.

I drop my papers and head for my group. I first see Eren.

"Did you hear that?" I ask him. "Could it be?"

"A titan," he says. "It must be Reiner."

_Why would Reiner be in Zingi?_

All of my group meets up, and seems as equally confused. The citizens of the tent village we've been at for the time being look to us.

Sasha spots something in the distance. I look in that direction and see it… an FR.

_Fraternity Rose is in Zingi._

"Guys, something is happening, and I have a feeling we're right in the middle of it…"

The FR Sasha spotted closes in on our position, and upon closer inspection I notice it's a girl FR. Once she sees us she freezes.

Sasha aims her bow at the girl. After a few seconds of silence, she shouts out, "CODE BLUE!"

Sasha lets the arrow fly, and just before the arrow lands the FR another arrow flies out of nowhere and strikes Sasha's arrow. On a rooftop of a half-destroyed building is none other than Jessica Arrowheart holding a bow.

"I got here as soon as I heard the lightning. You said it's a code blue, Aves? What the hell did Lex get himself into this time?" she says to the FR.

Jessica spots Sasha and I.

"Oh. That's what he's gotten himself into. Alright, remnants of Z-Guild are north of here trying to cause problems, so we gotta choose what's more important. Scouts, or Z-Guild. Hmmm… SCOUTS."

She shoots an arrow at us, and we all duck for cover. The arrow doesn't hit anyone. Since none of us bothered to bring along ODM gear, everyone resorts to running away.

A few minutes later I find myself hiding in a house with Sasha and the other Scout named Peter. I can see Jean and Krista from the window; they're hiding on the other side of the road.

 _This is bad, this is very bad…_ I think to myself. _I had a feeling something would happen if we came down here… I should've said something._

"Sasha, Peter, please stay here, I need to look for Eren and Alex. We need to stick together, that's how we're always beaten…"

Sasha nods, as does the blond Peter. The two stay in that same house, looking out its cracked window.

I run outside and am immediately greeted by an FR with a knife; he's initially surprised by my presence, then tries to come at me. I run in the opposite direction. A few moments later, I'm on that same street Jessica found us on.

I spot Alex and Eren on a rooftop, looking down below. They notice me, and signal for me to get up there. I check behind me and spot the FR I saw earlier, still pursuing me.

I climb onto the roof and watch as the FR tries to do the same. Just before he places his hand on the ledge Eren kicks down at him and he falls down to the ground. He doesn't get back up. I look to Eren.

"We need to group up, find Link and Mikasa, then… then…" I say. "Then get out of here."

"Screw that," Eren says. " _These_ fuckers need to get out of here. I'll slaughter them all."

"Eren! We weren't prepared for something like this, Reiner might even be here! Nobody has ODM gear, not even Mikasa! We have to go!"

Eren looks down at the ground with an angry look.

"Fine. But we're coming back."

I stand back up. "I don't doubt that at all, it's just… Nevermind. Let's get moving."

I help the silent Alex climb down and we all group up with Sasha, Jean, Krista, and Peter, all of whom ran into each other earlier. Then, we begin running to the place I told Link and Mikasa to go to.

We run past demolished buildings, a few dead bodies, turned-over carriages, just as the sun disappears from the sky. In just a few more minutes of running there's barely any light in the town. It's very difficult to see anything two meters in front of us.

We halt and look around us. Jean's armed with a knife, Eren's ready to transform, and Sasha is clutching Alex to make sure nothing happens to him; it's completely silent, as well. No other living souls are in sight. A feeling of worry and terror begins to overwhelm me as I peer out into the darkness surrounding us.

"Guys, I'm sorry, I should've brought weapons…" I say solemnly.

Jean shoots me an angry yet determined look.

"This is not the time to feel sorry, Armin."

_Jean's right… Just focus on getting out of here._

An arrow zooms from the darkness and flies through Sasha's leg. She lets out a shriek before quieting down.

"Dammit," she says to herself. We run in the opposite direction.

Someone with a torch appears in front of us out of nowhere, and Jean sprints forward at him. He slashes at the man with a knife, but Jean's kicked to the ground easily. He gets back on his feet and stumbles back to the group. We run through the streets, only to keep running into more FRs and mysterious, shadowy people who are seemingly trapping us. Eventually, we find ourselves hiding in the second floor of a house.

"Take the arrow," Sasha says, in pain, "and stab them with it."

"No. You'll be in too much pain. We just need to get out of here," I say.

Krista says quietly, "Don't you get it, guys? There _is no_ getting out of here. We're trapped."

"Krista's right," Jean says. "I don't think we can make it out of this one."

_We have no weapons but a knife and Eren's titan ability and we're being hunted by an entire guild.._

_And, on top of all that, Reiner or some other titan shifter is in this city…_

_We're doomed._

Fraternity Rose eventually figures out our location, surrounds us, and sets the building on fire. We're forced to jump out of the nearest window to survive; all of us crash onto the ground, bloodied up, bruised, and exhausted. In front of us are over fifty men, all wearing blue shirts, except for one. That one person is in a black trench coat.

That man in the trench coat steps forward after we prop ourselves up.

"I was recently informed that the Scout Regiment and the Garrison Regiment were merging. Is this true?" he asks. None of us answer.

"If that is the case then we should not be in such a predicament. We're on good terms with the Garrison, so may I ask why you all are here? Causing havoc?"

"We're here to help the people," I say. The man glares at me.

"Trust me, helping you are not. You are merely setting us back an evening in work, because, see, we're supposed to be in Ehrmich right now. We're supposed to already have dealt with any problems left in this city and moved on. Ah, but no, a code blue had to appear at the very last moment."

"Look, I don't want to hurt you guys. Your base is up north, and we rest down south. I wasn't anticipating any problems from the Scouts ever since Utopia, but I was wrong."

His tall, slender figure steps forward some more. He takes out a knife. Before he gets any closer, someone shouts a name.

"Mr. Riverwell!"

"What do you want?" he asks to the FR approaching him. Behind the FR is revealed to be a knocked-out Link, with no sword and without his pointy hat.

"We managed to capture one of them but the other escaped. What shall we do, Maxus?"

He looks back at us as Link awakens. The man apparently named Maxus thinks for a moment.

"What we usually do," he replies, suddenly throwing his knife forward. It goes through Krista's neck, and she falls to the ground.

Eren screams at him and begins charging forward. Jean tries to pick up Krista, saying, "No, no, no, no, no!" and I just sit there in bewilderment. Eren is forced against the ground by a few FRs.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill _all of you!_ " Eren shrieks, trying to escape from the FR's grasp. Sasha backs up against the burning house's wall in horror, as does Alex. Peter…

Peter is nowhere to be found.

"Alright, men and women, let us take these people to Ehrmich with us. That girl's body could even serve as a warning to the district," he says. "A portion of you will have to stay here and search for that other Scout, they could be a threat."

We're taken into these giant carriages and hauled out of Zingi, and to Ehrmich…

* * *

"Sir, it appears your sorceress has perished," she tells me as she approaches my throne.

"To whom are you referring to?"

"The one you sent to hunt for the Hero of Time. The girl."

"Ah. I had a feeling she wouldn't be enough."

"We have a lead on Ganondorf's whereabouts, and it's confirmed he still has the Triforce of Power. Should we search for him? He might be willing to help."

"No," I tell her. "He will not work."

I stand up and walk to the red-stained window closest to me. The kingdom of Hyrule is before me; it is a kingdom I easily took over. A strict government is in place, and I trust said government can retain itself in my absence.

"I'm going to do it myself," I say.

_I'm going to kill the Hero of Time._


	26. Shortcomings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Failed plans and the good 'ol times.

"Historia… You must promise me one thing, and one thing only."

Her eyes widen with curiosity as she looks up at her father's determined gaze.

"What is it, father?"

"Stay alive. Do whatever it takes, Historia… You must live through everything that will take place in the coming years. It will be a tough burden, but you're a strong-willed girl. Have you decided on a new name?"

"Yes. It's Krista Lenz," she tells him.

"I shall return, then. May the Reiss family be united once again," Rod says. "Farewell."

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

"LINK!" I shout.

Lex, currently in his tall, skinny titan form clutches Link with his hand, holding his small figure directly in front of his titan face. Link reaches for his sword, but drops it once Lex throws him into the nearest building. He crashes through the brick wall.

_This is bad,_ I think.

I sprint forward and grab Link's sword, which has a green flame coming from it; immediately, a knife zooms from the side and past my face. I jump back and look around to see multiple FRs wearily lurching toward me. Once they get close enough I slash at them with the yellow sword I'm wielding, but they easily dodge and kick me to the ground.

I'm held at knifepoint for a few moments. Then, Link appears from behind the FR gang pursuing me and bashes their heads in with a brick. He shoots me a worried look for a split second; then, he jumps forward and pushes me to the ground. Lex slashes at the ground and barely misses us.

"Thanks," I tell him.

"Keep the sword," he quickly says, "and try to find some ODM gear. I'll distract the others."

I nod, and face towards the giant titan standing in front of me. Link pulls out his bow and shoots down as many FRs as possible while I go head to head with Lex.

His titan is tall, skinny yet well-built, and has short black hair; his strikes are slightly slow, as well. I use that to my advantage as I dodge all of his strikes. I jump over and duck under his bony hands for a few minutes until he eventually lands a hit. I go flying onto a roof instantly.

"Shit," I say, getting back onto my feet. I look down below to see about five FRs holding Link down, and then at Lex's tall titan form standing nearby. I think for a moment.

_There's no way we can win this. I have no ODM gear and Link doesn't have his hookshot…_

Link and I make eye contact. He mouths the word "Go."

_Does he want me to let FR take him and then come back later to find him? Or hide for a moment?_

I watch as they carry Link away from that rooftop. I don't do anything. Link doesn't seem too alarmed either. A feeling of uneasiness begins to overwhelm me; I think, _It's up to me now, unless Armin and everyone else is okay._

I'm reminded of the time I blindly went to Merchant's Heaven. I didn't know where to go or what to expect, but I sure did have quite the time there. I didn't accomplish much, but instead almost got killed multiple times and caused general havoc. I remember that moment as I approached the gate leading into the city, and how I felt...

_No… this time is different._

_I can see Link right now, albeit barely… I just need to follow them and wait for the perfect time to strike._

_I also need ODM gear, as well as more supplies… I'll figure it out._

I hop off of the roof and look towards Link.

_Let's do this._

_**. . .** _

After pursuing Fraternity Rose for a few hours, I find myself watching them from a distance in the dead of night. I'm close enough to hear their conversations, but far away enough to not attract attention. Hopefully, at least.

"I feel like there was another Scout in this group… don't you think so, Lex?"

"I do not know, Jessie, I was not there when you caught them."

"Don't call me that, asshole," Jessica snaps at him. "But I'm serious. There _was_ another one of those fuckers, he was a tall blondy. Looked like he didn't really give a shit about anything."

"Why don't you inform somebody else?"

"I don't feel like getting out of this carriage."

"Of course."

"Maybe later I'll say something. Anyway, why did you go titan back there?"

_Tall blond… I remember him… I don't remember his name, though._

"Lex, what the hell? Answer me!"

"Be quiet."

"What?"

Nobody in the carriage I'm stalking says anything for a moment.

"Someone is here."

_Dammit._

I dart around the corner and hide behind a building. Their carriage comes to a halt; moments later, all of the other carriages surrounding it stop as well. My heart drops.

"What is it, Lex?" an FR person asks.

"Search the area immediately," he demands. "We're being stalked."

I sprint away away from the scene and watch the FRs from a distance. I spot Link, unconscious, in a wagon latched to a large vehicle; he is missing his hat, for some reason. I start to make my way over to his position whilst slipping past guards and such; just before I step onto the street I'm tackled by someone from my left.

_What the hell? Who -_

I turn myself over to see - guess who - the _blond scout._ The one who was assigned to our group. I don't even know his name.

_I don't have time for this!_

Just before I push him off of me he pleads, "Wait!"

"Don't go over there!"

"You… Why are you here? Where are the others? Eren?" I question.

"They're captured… they even killed that one blonde girl… They're in the same group of carriages as the guy you're looking for. It's extremely fortified," he explains.

_Wha- What..?_

"Krista?"

"Yeah, yeah, it was her… That Maxus guy. I watched him throw a knife in her neck, then… the rest were captured."

_Krista… She's… dead._

_I never really got to know her…_

I stand up when I hear the sound of running from behind us. I signal to the other scout with my hand to start sprinting away, and we do.

"I really need to work on my cardio," he says under his breath. He catches me looking at him.

"What?" he asks.

"Who are you?"

"Peter Alois. You?"

I turn my head forward as we turn into another alley.

"Mikasa Ackerman."

After a few more minutes of running, we finally stop and lie down. Peter's out of breath, as am I.

I sit up and look to him. He's leaning against a brick wall; I notice a small scar below his right ear.

"What type of plan do you suggest?"

"One that doesn't fail."

I roll my eyes.

"We need to think of _something,_ or else every other person assigned to Zingi will be dead. I don't plan on letting that happen."

"Well, girl, running in blindly to a, I'd say, quite powerful enemy isn't a very good idea."

I almost lash out at him when I realize he's right. _Damn… That would probably have gone badly._

"Yeah… I guess I'm too hell-bent on saving them I can't think rationally. I get like that in situations like this."

He rises from the brick wall and looks out into the open road about thirty meters from our dark position.

"I guess that's what it's like when you have close friends," he whispers to himself. "Alright, uh… Mikasa, let's get going."

Peter and I follow Fraternity Rose for the time being and try to think of some way to distract them. Maybe steal ODM gear - yeah, that'd be good…

At one point I try to lure out one of the people with ODM gear, and instead of investigating on their own like we wanted the person informs the entire group. We sprint away before any of them know it's us. Peter decides he's going to figure out a _real_ plan instead of doing 'what his instinct tells him to,' and before long he tells me he knows how to save our friends.

**. . .**

"SHIT!" Peter screams out. He tumbles down from the roof of a building as Lex in his titan form slashes at him. His long, skinny arm then begins reaching for us, and we barely manage to slip under him and off the central Zingi road. I make eye contact with Jessica Arrowheart for a split second before zooming into a two-story brick house.

_I'm glad this neighborhood is abandoned,_ I think.

"Goddammit!" Peter yells out.

Visibly angry, he says, "How the hell did they figure out where we were before step one even commenced? What the hell?!"

"Oh, get over it. Let's go at it again before they find us."

"No! Mikasa - It didn't work. The plan didn't work."

"I CAN SEE THAT, PETER! Don't whine about it, just keep going at it!"

He sighs.

"Yeah, whatever, you're right. I was just _so sure_ it would work."

A second after he finishes that sentence Lex punches through the front wall of the brick house and Jessica comes running through. She tries to stab me with one of her god forsaken bloody arrows but Peter tackles her before she can do so.

"Fuck off, dude," she yells at Peter.

"Only when you stop being such a _dick!_ "

I snatch the arrow from Arrowheart and almost stab her with Link's sword; she dodges at the last goddamn second. She punches Peter and rockets away from the scene. Peter rises to his feet.

I run outside to see Lex's titan rotting; _he's exited titan form._ The FRs are out of sight, and there's nothing but rubble on the street. It's still pitch black, and I've lost all sense of direction. Perfect.

"Which way did they go?" I ask Peter.

"This way," he answers, running into darkness.

I sigh, and then start following him.

"Whose sword is that?" he asks me. I look down at Link's yellow sword, with a green flame surrounding it.

"Kid named Link. He's who I was with before."

"Ah. Know each other well?"

"Not really."

"Wait - He wears green clothes, right?"

"Uh… Right."

"Hold on," he says. Peter takes the small bag he's carrying off of his back and shuffles through it. He pulls out - get this - _Link's cap._ I smile and grab it from him.

"Yes! I thought he had lost this," I tell him.

"Weird hat," he says. "Suits him, though. Maybe because he himself is weird."

"You're weird too, y'know," I say.

"I know."

**. . .**

"Peter. Do not move an inch," I warn him.

"Yeah, you try anything, blondy, and I'll slice your throat open," Jessica threatens. "As for you, Mikasa, if you hand us back our member, we _might_ hand you back this dude. Key word: _might._ "

I cock the revolver pistol I'm holding and push it into the FR's head. He's kinda whimpering, but I don't care. They're practically doing the same thing to Peter. Except with a knife, a really damn big one at that.

"HEY! You kill him, we kill Peter!" Jessica shouts.

"Oh, we all know you're gonna kill him anyway," I retort. A look of terror appears on Peter's face.

As Jessica holds Peter at knifepoint and I hold an FR at gunpoint, the citizens of Zingi watch from their windows. They aren't even that scared, just interested. The rest of Fraternity Rose is up ahead, oblivious of the standoff taking place.

"You know, Peter, if you wouldn't have started your next plan without my say-so, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"I don't take orders from you," he sputters out.

I grab Link's sword and place it against the FR's neck; as the sword gets closer to his neck, is starts burning the skin. Must be the green flames. I then point the gun at Jessica and Peter.

"Move, or you will be moved," I demand.

She positions herself more behind Peter to use him as a shield. I step closer to them, trying to not let Peter die, which, by now, seems like a longshot. If only Link was here…

Well, Link doesn't have his hookshot, so he's definitely less powerful. He's going to need another one of those. Also, I'm wearing Link's hat right now because I don't know where else to put it.

Nothing happens between me or Jessica. She retains her position, as do I. We glare at each other for multiples minutes. The surrounding people are no longer interested; _guess our battle isn't fast-paced enough. Heh._

Suddenly, some kind of flash goes off in the middle of me and Jessica, and all four of us go flying backward. I'm blinded for a few moments. My grip on the FR is lost, as well; once I get back on my feet, I see a peculiar sight. There's a figure holding Link's sword…wearing blue and white clothes with a red eye symbol on the front… white cloth covers the person's face except for the eyes. The person, who I assume is a girl due to the long hair extended form the back, studies Link's sword for a moment, then glares at me.

I glare back at her.

"Who are you?" I ask.

No answer. Instead, she walks towards me, keeping her glare; once she reaches me, she punches me in the face. I immediately try to punch her but she ducks under it.

" _What have you done with the Hero of Time?"_ she asks.

"W-what?"

" _I will ask once more before I use lethal force. Link, the Hero of Time. What did you do to him?"_

"Link… I didn't do anything! I'm trying to save him right now!"

She says nothing for a minute, then rises. I see Peter holding Jessica down with the same knife she almost killed him with.

"Where is he?" she asks. Her voice is that of someone just a year or two younger than I, yet seems so wise and mature…

"On this road, that way," I inform her, pointing in front of me.

Before I say anything else she begins sprinting ahead. I direct my attention back to Peter. Jessica's gone.

"Who was that?" he asks me.

I stare ahead as the sun starts lighting up the morning sky.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

_**Sasha's Point of View** _

_**back in the military school days** _

_Man, am I hungry,_ I think. The stupid commander won't let me eat dinner on the _first day_ just because I was eating earlier during some kind of introduction ceremony. I even offered him half, and instead, he made me run until my legs felt like jelly, and now, I have to watch my fellow trainee soldiers eat without me. It's torture.

I'm already regretting joining this place. I mean, I know the world almost ended not too long ago, but I'm not sure I'm one of the people that can help save it.

I guess I'll find out sooner or later.

I make myself stop watching through the window because I know it's just making me hungrier.

_This sucks._

After waiting for the commander to unlock the girls' dorm for about twenty minutes, I'm ready to just fall asleep where I am. I just want this day to end already. That's when someone opens the door.

It's the kid the commander yelled at and held up by his head, calling him scrawny and such… Man, I kind of feel bad for him. He doesn't have it as bad as I do, though, so whatever. We make eye contact.

"Hey!" he says. "You're the one who had… had th-"

"Had the potato, yes, yes, what's up?" I interrupt.

"Yeah… You didn't get to eat tonight, did you?" He sits down on the other end of the wooden patio, holding a tray of food. I can't take my eyes off of the food - _salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, corn, green bean... - ahh, that looks so good._

"Nope."

"And you had to run?"

"Ten miles, yes."

"Holy shit, I would die if I had to do that."

"Eh, I'm fairly fit, I'd say, but I still hated it. I wobble every time I stand now."

I look out into the sky just now reaching dusk. I can hear all of the trainees inside chatting it out, and some of the guys already trying to get into their dormhouse. Outside, it's mainly quiet, though.

"You want half?" the dude asks, breaking the silence. My face lights up.

"Yes!" I say, jumping on over towards him. I eagerly clutch his fork and start chomping down the mashed potatoes as he gives me a look of bewilderment.

"Calm down now, it's just food. Don't eat all of it. I have to eat too."

We split the steak in half; in less than fives minutes, all of the food is gone. I lie down on my back.

"I'm still hungry," I say aloud.

"Same," he responds.

A question comes to mind. "What's your name?" I ask.

"Connie. You?"

"Sasha."

"Well, Sasha, here's to the first day of training. Maybe tomorrow will be better."

"Maybe," I say.

_**present day** _

"Connie… Connie… Connie… Connie…" I mutter to myself. I think back to when we were in military school. I long for those days. I loved those days. I'd do anything to get those days back.

Now I'm in some kind of vehicle with Armin and Jean and my hands tied behind my back. Krista was just murdered right before our eyes, and none of us have any idea where we're going.

All we know is that Mikasa and Peter are the only ones out there, and they're our only hope.

The thought that Connie is no longer in my life overwhelms me… I can never speak to him, hug him, joke with him, do _anything_ with him ever again.

I thought I got over it during the past two weeks, but… I didn't. I was in denial. I didn't think about it. I convinced myself it was some kind of joke and that he'll be back before I know it. I knew I was in denial, too… I even asked Link about it earlier today, before we were caught into this mess.

" _...some latch onto their closest friends and family, and let them share their grief. Guide you. Build you back up."_

_Link… Just a kid, yet gives adult-like advice… I wonder if he's ever lost some as close to him as Connie was close to me._

_Oh Connie, I really wish you were here right now. I really do._

"Armin… Have you ever lost anyone?" I ask him. He moves his head up a bit, but doesn't look at me."

"Yeah."

"Does it ever get any better?"

We make eye contact.

"It does, but… It never goes away completely. Never."

"Oh, get over it, Sasha," Jean complains. "Connie was my friend too. I miss him just as much as you but I'm not letting it get to my head… Can't you see we're in some deep shit right now?"

_He's right…_

"I'm sorry, I - I… Sorry."

"No, it's okay… That was a little too harsh. Just, someone else being visibly sad about it makes me feel sad too… And I don't need that right now. None of us do. It sucks, but it's a thing of the past. The faster we get Connie out of our mind the quicker we can move on. Same goes with Krista…"

"Jean, weren't you good friends with Krista?" Armin asks him.

"Not as much as Ymir, but yeah…"

I spot Alex in the carriage across from us on the street. He's asleep. Poor kid. Eren's in some other carriage bound by his hands and feet… I guess he's a large threat. Link gets his own carriage also.

Jessica came by a couple of times to mock me; at one point her brother named Lex alerted her of "problems arising" and she quickly seemed to know what he was referring to, and the two set off to deal with said problems, I guess. I had the feeling Mikasa or Peter had to do with it.

"Lex, the kid is gone," I hear Jessica's voice say amidst the silence of the night.

"Who?"

"The sword kid, green clothes… He's vanished. Without a damn trace."

"How do you mean?"

"I don't fucking know, Lex, that's just what happened. I didn't see it. One minute he was there tied up and stuff and the next he isn't. The rope isn't even there, it's just… Gone. Heard him mumbling about something a few minutes before his disappearance as well."

"Shall we go look for him then?"

She sighs. "Yeah. Gimme a minute."

_Link escaped… I wonder if Mikasa's here. That wouldn't be too bad._

A look of hope appears on Armin's face. When he has that look, it's always when there's barely any hope, but at the same time, it's when we manage to make our way out of the situation. That look… He knows we're getting out of here. Jean knows it too. He's seen Link's power like we all have. How he lost to Lex, I don't know, but… I have a feeling we'll be seeing Link or Mikasa soon.

* * *

Moments after stepping through the purple portal, I'm surrounded by nothingness. Up, down, left, right… It's all black. Abruptly, I find myself in a new world. The world the Hero of Time is in…

_I can easily track him, Zelda gave him the Triforce of Wisdom… I'm still debating on whether or not to speak with him telepathically. I can't with Zelda anymore, as she does not have a Triforce piece nor the sorceress powers…_

_Ah, the sorceress powers. I must find someone else to give them to. That girl… Annie… failed. I need to find someone I can manipulate. Someone who's angry at the world, yet confused… Someone in despair._

And a girl suddenly pops into my head… Reddish hair, in some kind of dark, moving vehicle… I can tell she's near the Hero.

_Perfect._


	27. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good ol' family get-together.

"I want to know if my child will be able to join our ranks. Yes, he will live with an adoptive family, but I eventually want to let him know who his real father is…"

"What of his mother?"

"I'll be blunt about her undoing."

"I wouldn't mind letting little Alex in, but that is up to my son, Maxus. Once he becomes leader the rules might change. I don't have that much longer, Lex… Get on Maxus's good side and we'll see."

"Thank you, sir."

_My child, Alexander Arrowheart Jr., will now be intrusted to a couple over in Zingi. However, sooner or later he needs to learn of his real parents…_

_The death of his real mother will hit him hard, but I'm optimistic he'll be happy knowing he still has a father. He needs to join our ranks. I'm the only one that knows…_

_My titan powers have passed on to him, or at least they will._

_I assume they will arrive by the time he reaches age twelve. Then… then, he'll be ready._

_**twelve years later** _

_**at the Scout HQ after Link defeated Annie** _

_**Link's Point of View** _

"...the main thing that's bothering me is that I don't _feel_ like I've lost an arm. Every now and then I'll try to grab something with my nonexistent left hand and completely forget. No matter what, it's like my brain won't register it…"

_That's definitely weird…_

"I've felt the same," Eren says from the other side of the table. The light from the curtains shines onto his face as he joins in on the conversation.

"Well, in Trost, I lost my leg to a titan out of nowhere, and crashlanded onto a roof. It hurt like hell, but… that's it. It just _hurt_. Like a small cut, or something. I mustered up the strength to save Armin from a titan, and in the process, part of my arm was bitten off as well before I was swallowed… All I felt was anger. I didn't care I had lost my arm and leg. After that… I guess I went titan for the first time."

"So you're saying it's because you're a titan?" Alex curiously asks.

"I don't know, I guess… It didn't start to grow back until after I went titan, so I don't know how it is to stay with a missing arm or leg. I don't know, just a thought."

_Could it be…?_

_No, no, no. That's absurd._

_Alex, a titan… heh. What a weird thought._

_**present day** _

One moment I'm locked in a dark vehicle, and the next I'm lying on the street. Between those two moments the unmistakable blinding light of a deku nut caused me to almost lose consciousness.

For a bit, I'm convinced I'm dreaming. I'm already hazy and my vision is blurry, and what I can almost make out in front of me doesn't make sense. As I stand up, glaring at the figure in front of me, I hear a voice… a familiar, soothing voice, yet filled with worry. One I've known for a long time.

"W-who are you?" I sputter out. I reach for my sword, but realize I don't currently have it.

The effects of the deku nut wear off. I identify the figure in front of me.

"I don't believe you could have possibly forgotten _me_ , Link… Right?" she says.

Without saying a word, I run forward and hug her… Zelda. She's dressed as her alter ego, Sheik.

"Sh-I mean, Z-zelda? Wha- how?" I confusingly ask her. I step back for a moment.

"What are you doing here?"

She takes off the cloth covering her mouth.

"I'd say that's a very long story. I assume you'd rather help your new friends before we catch up?"

I smile, and nod.

"LINK!" I hear someone yell from behind. I see Mikasa sprinting towards me, holding my green hat and yellow sword in her hands.

"I believe these are yours," she says, handing them to me.

"Ah, thanks," I reply. I grab my gilded sword, put on my hat, and start running towards the rest of my friends; Zelda, Mikasa, and that other guy Peter tag along behind me.

_Let's do this._

The sun becoming increasingly visible in the sky, we charge forward, towards the large group of vehicles holding my friends captive. The new light gives us an advantage. Once we reach the first carriage, Zelda and I split up from Mikasa and Peter, and target separate parts of the carriage formation; we're immediately pursued, but we easily take our enemies down. As we check each carriage and wagon for anyone of importance, I observe Zelda - no, Sheik -'s fighting style. She's even better than her adult form, I can tell, and is extremely agile. I daresay she's a better fighter than me at the moment due to my lost items like the hookshot. Sheik kicks, flips, punches, and even body slams, anyone and everyone who gets in her way. Once we make it to a vehicle holding Eren by himself, we meet Jessica, one of Fraternity Rose's stronger members.

I assume Zelda knows that Jessica's fairly powerful when I barely dodge her arrows a couple of times, and tells me, "I'll handle her, save your friend, Link." I nod, and then slice open the metal bars trapping Eren, and slice off his handcuffs. _Man, this sword can cut through anything. Must be the green flame Annie left on it…_ A few moments after Eren's out, he goes titan, and I stand on his shoulder for a bit before leaping back into action. Just before I hop onto the top of a carriage I spot Peter and Mikasa holding down Lex. Probably trying to prevent him from going titan.

Eren completely demolishes everything in his path, and after a few minutes half of the formation is gone. Zelda is still fighting Jessica for some reason, but seems to be winning, and Lex is still apprehended by Mikasa and Peter. I search for Armin and the others. I spot all of them sitting down together in one carriage and free them; they thank me with a smile, but I quickly notice their otherwise solemn expressions. I assume that everyone's been saved, and almost call everyone back when I think of Alex, the kid who decided to randomly tag along with us.

"Where's Alex?" I ask Sasha. She replies, "I-I don't know."

I run past an injured Jessica Arrowheart and reach Zelda, running on the outer left side of the almost completely destroyed formation. I look behind to see Mikasa sprinting to my side.

"Lex is taken care of, his arms and legs are cut off, and Peter has him secured. Is Jessica done?"

"Yes," I reply. An FR shoots an arrow towards us, and Zelda kicks it out of midair just before it strikes us. Mikasa looks surprised for a moment.

"She's with us, right?" she asks.

"She is. Listen, we need to find Alex, he's the only one left, and then we can get out of here. Go tell Peter and then try and find him, alright? I'll search as well." She nods. I then motion to Zelda to keep going, and I jump backwards towards the rest of the group.

"Link!" Jean yells. "Don't you think we should just go ahead and go? We shouldn't risk anymore just for one kid we barely know."

"W-wha?" I say.

"Sasha keeps saying no, but I don't want any more trouble."

"Trouble is inevitable for us," I tell Jean. "Come on, guys."

Jessica manages to get back up and begins pursuing Sasha, and Armin promptly tries to help, as Sasha is still badly injured. Jean snatches one of the FR's pistols and attempts to shoot any coming after us. Lex somehow goes titan despite his severed limbs, and that occupies Eren; Zelda is nowhere to be found. _Shit,_ I think. _Where'd she go?_

I spot her slender figure in battle up ahead. I climb onto one of the now fast-moving carriages and make my way towards her position, and see that she's facing who I believe is the Fraternity Rose leader - _Max, I think?_ The leader seems to be winning… Zelda can't land a strike onto him. He easily dodges and kicks her every chance he gets; he's not even using any sort of magical powers.

Well, that last statement is proven false when his entire arm turns into that of a titan's arm, and punches Zelda off of the carriage. The giant arm then meshes back into his regular body. He takes one look at me from the carriage he's standing on and then jumps forward. In midair, both of his legs turn into titan legs, and with one kick he demolishes the vehicle I'm standing on. He hops back onto a carriage and the formation speeds away - with none of us pursuing it.

We've lost. They've taken that kid… Alex.

**. . .**

Zelda and I are alone in a room somewhere in Zingi. It's about seven o'clock. I'm exhausted.

"Zelda, just… Just what are you doing… well, here? In this universe? How did you even know I was here, even more how'd you get here?"

"It's all too complicated to say with one simple answer, Link… I can say I found you using my Triforce, and came for your help."

"This… is crazy. I haven't seen you in so long. Do you know where I went after I left Hyrule?" I ask, curious of her answer.

"A different universe, I know that, but I don't know the name."

"I was in a land known as Termina. Damn, was that one hell of an adventure… So, how've you been? What has Princess Zelda been up to in my absence?"

"Not too good... I've mainly been training to become Sheik again and also taught myself these new powers.."

"What?"

"Nevermind, it's not important right now. Anyway - the main reason I came is because of what's happening in Hyrule."

My eyes widen with fear, and anxiety overwhelms me.

"Here's the entire situation: not too long after you left, a certain man rose to power - he had these strange powers, capable of things like telekinesis, teleportation, and even mind control; nobody could compete. He scared the guards into submission, killed my father, and held Hyrule captive… He still does. The whole situation - it's different than Ganon. He's much different. Personality and everything."

She continues, "So, I trained. I observed the man use some type of other power having to do with some kind of dark Triforce… I taught myself how to use those powers, except with my light Triforce… I also figured out how to track down other holders of the light Triforce and saw Ganondorf, wandering about Hyrule, and you - you, in a different universe. Which brings me here."

_That's…. That's a lot to take in, holy shit… Zelda's been through some stuff._

_Dark Triforce… That reminds me of something…_

_Damn._

"Anything else to add?" I jokingly ask.

"I think that covers mostly everything. However… We need to leave as soon as possible. Look… Return back to Hyrule, Link, with me. Please."

I look down at the roughed-up, wooden table we're both seated at.

"A-after we save my other friend."

She nods.

"Well, you must do so quickly, Link. Your home needs you."

"I understand, Zelda."

"Now that that's covered… Well, Link, how have _you_ been?" she asks lightheartedly.

I half-chuckle. "My well-being matters not, princess. I am simply travelling about with these kind people, helping them with their problems… Every once in awhile I'd think about home and long for sleeping in that treehouse in the woods, maybe go visit Malon at her ranch, um… Check out Zora's domain, maybe catch up with my Goron friends at Death Mountain. I don't know… sorry, rambling."

"Link, your well-being matters a lot, I'll tell you that." She smiles. "I miss home too, because what Hyrule currently is… isn't home. Remember that one day where you snuck into Hyrule Castle and didn't even get caught once, just to meet me?"

"Heh. I remember."

"Even though, in reality, it was a year or two ago, it feels like a nostalgic childhood memory… So, what's this Termina like? The place you ended up in after you left Hyrule?"

"Well, I didn't really 'leave' Hyrule. I was looking for Navi and got… well, sidetracked. Some dude stole my ocarina, so I chased after him, somehow ended up in Termina. It was a really weird place, like there was this giant moon in the sky, and I had three days until it crashed down, but I could, um, reset the three days with the Song of Time. Weird, right? I eventually saved Termina, and when I tried to leave I ended up here. One adventure after another."

"Interesting," she comments. "Well, let's get going, I guess. Once we get back your other friend we'll figure things out, alright?"

"Alright."

**. . .**

Armin claims that Fraternity Rose are headed for Ehrmich, so that's the direction we're headed. While we travel, Sasha and Jean furiously argue.

"Sasha. These guys killed Krista, Lyssa, and beat Link and Mikasa, why are we going after them? We're just begging for more trouble!" Jean explains.

"JEAN! They have Alex!" Sasha yells in return.

"I know that, but who's more important: him, or one of us?"

"I'd rather it be me than that innocent, sweet little kid. And he _is_ one of us. He freaking got his arm bitten off trying to save me, and this is how you want to return the favor? No. You know what? Screw you, Jean."

"I'm _sorry_ for caring about this group when everybody else wants to blindly run into problems. You wanna hate me for that? Fine."

"Jean," Eren interrupts, "will you fucking stop? Look, I don't even know this Alex kid that much, but he clearly means a lot to Sasha and maybe Armin, so I don't give a shit how hard it is to get him back. You're going to shut your goddamn mouth and help us, unless you want your ass beat. Got it?"

"Oh, fuck off, Eren, you blindly run into _everything,_ because you know what? You have titan powers, so obviously you're so special that it doesn't matter. Well, for the rest of us, it does. We have to care for ourselves and actually be smart about our actions."

"It's better than sitting on my ass and watching shit go down right in front of me."

"Eren's right, Jean," Sasha says. "Look. I understand where you're coming from but we have to look after each other as well. He is apart of our team, and, ever since I can recall, there's no man left behind. If you have a problem with being a decent human being, you can leave. Other than that, shut up and get a move on."

He sighs, nods, and then we continue on to Ehrmich.

The sun is directly above us, reminding me of when we were travelling to Zingi yesterday, before any bad stuff happened. I assume we're more than halfway there as the grass surrounding us is appearing left plentiful and lush, and Zingi Field ends just before the entrance to Ehrmich District.

_Ahh… I remember Ehrmich. It was one of the first places I went to in this universe. It's where I met Mikasa, and battled Annie for the first time. Good times._

_I wonder what Fraternity Rose wants to do with Ehrmich. Probably something not good…_

"Hey, anybody know where my stuff is?" I ask aloud. Mikasa looks to me from up ahead on her horse, and replies, "Yes, I think Jean has it."

I spot my two trusty bags hanging down from Jean's horse, and he unhooks them and gives them to me. I reach down into my items bag to take a look at my ocarina, when I remember I no longer have it. Zelda notices this; she's riding on the same horse as me, sitting behind me.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"Nothing," I say. _I can't tell her my ocarina she gave me broke…_

"Hey, Link, quick question, who the hell is that?" Jean asks from behind. I look to see him pointing at Zelda, still dressed up as Sheik, with the exception of her face.

"Someone from the same place as I. Mikasa didn't tell you?"

Jean looks confused for a moment. "N-no, I guess not."

"She knows how to get me back home, which is where I'm going after we rescue Alex," I inform Jean.

Mikasa abruptly turns around and looks me in the eye.

"You're - what? Leaving?" she asks.

The look on her face tells me everything.

_Oh._

"...yes, I am leaving," I respond. Everybody's silent, and only the sounds of horses trotting through grass can be heard.

"You mean, you already have a way home and everything?"

I look to Zelda.

"I know where the portal is to our world," Zelda says. "Anyone can walk through and pass into the other world, and vice versa. So, yes, technically speaking, Link and I have a way home, 'and everything.'"

Mikasa looks down.

"Well… You'll be able to come back, right, Link?" Mikasa hopefully questions.

"Yeah, I can do that."

"That's... " Mikasa stutters. "That's good, at least."

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

_**at the Scout HQ after Link defeated Annie** _

One thing I've noticed I'm not very good at is sleep. I've mastered a lot: my grades back in military training were great, I'm physically fit, I'm exceptional with the ODM gear, and a good deal of people call me attractive. But I have the tendency to stay up late at night; I usually have a lot on my mind, so it's probably stress-induced.

So, naturally, while everyone else is sound asleep in the middle of the night, I'm wide awake in the bunk bed I share with Krista. Thoughts come and go in my head whilst my eyes dart around the room. I _want_ to sleep, but I just don't feel tired. I mean, if I'm exhausted and am actually sleepy, I can go to sleep just fine, but on nights like this, where I'm not constantly on the run, I just… can't.

The way my mind works is that there's always one central problem or person I'm focused on. Once whatever thought comes about in my head, it won't go away until it's done for. And right now, I have no looming problems. I tied a loose end with Eren back in Ehrmich about our relationship, and I've been feeling more… independent of him. He's no longer the only one on my thoughts, and no longer who I think of when I wake up. When I first noticed this, I felt a bit guilty, but now, I'm indifferent, like I am towards a lot of things.

My whole life was centered around him from the moment he came into my life on that dark, horrible day…

Now, nobody really is. One would think I would be 'freed' by this sort of thing. One would think I would have more opportunities to do what I desired to do; however, that's not the case, because I never felt trapped by thinking of Eren so often. I _wanted_ to make sure he was 100% okay, I _wanted_ to spend a lot of time with him, and I _wanted_ to be by his side. While I still most definitely love him and enjoy his presence, it isn't how it used to be. This way I actually feel _more_ trapped than before.

It feels particularly odd to not have one central thought constantly going through my head.

Maybe I'll find something new to obsess about.

After several more minutes of tossing and turning, I climb out of bed, quietly walk to the door of the dark room, and then make my way downstairs. While going downstairs I immediately notice a candle lit on the kitchen table. Upon closer inspection, I see Link sitting at said wooden kitchen table. There's a few papers off to the side of him, as well as a pencil.

"Link?"

He jerks up in surprise from his thoughts and looks to me.

"W-what?" he sputters out. His eyes are slightly bloodshot.

"What… are you doing down here?"

"Can't sleep."

I spot the steaming coffee cup over to the right of him on the table.

"Maybe it's because you're drinking coffee this late at night?"

He slightly chuckles. "Maybe."

I take a seat across from him. His facial expression, it's so… different. It's a little sad, but also just much more bland than it usually is. There's obviously a lot on his mind right now.

"Are you… okay?" He perks his head up after that question.

"Yeah?"

"Okay… What's that?" I ask, referring to the bunch of papers next to him.

"Uh… It's a thing for Sasha."

"May I read it?"

"Knock yourself out," he says without a second thought, passing the papers to me.

The paper reads: "Hey, Sasha, thanks for asking. I'll gladly teach you bow & arrow tricks, what days of the week would you want to train? I'm down for any day. Just let me know."

The other papers don't say anything.

"That's nice," I comment.

"What, teaching her bow and arrow stuff? That's nothing."

"You're in a very different mood than usual, Link. What's going on?"

He stops completely, and looks down at the table. After a few moments, he looks back up at me.

"Mikasa, do you ever miss something _so much_ that you have dreams about it almost every night? Or have thoughts of times you don't want to think about constantly flowing through your head?"

I hesitate to respond. "U-uh… Yes."

"Well, that's why I'm not sleeping. I don't feel like dealing with waking up, realizing my dreams of home were false, and I don't want to relive anything from the past, I just- I can't."

_Link…_

He looks back up at me. He sighs.

"But, you know what? That doesn't matter. I mean, if I don't sleep tonight, I'll be too tired to train with Sasha, or report with that leader Erwin about some business from Zingi, or go titan hunting, or-"

"Link," I interrupt, grabbing his wrist.

"What?"

"Take it easy."

"...huh?"

"Don't torture yourself like that. Do what you feel you need to do. Take all the time you need sorting out whatever problems you have, everyone understands. Please."

I head off back to bed, and I fall asleep within ten minutes.

_**present day** _

"She knows how to get me back home, which is where I'm going after we rescue Alex."

The feeling that hit me the moment those words were spoken made me realize just how much I've grown to befriend Link.

Whilst riding on a horse with the rest of the group towards Ehrmich, I quickly turn my head back and look to Link. "You're - what? Leaving?" I ask in disbelief.

_I know he has a problem of missing home and know he wants nothing more than to return there, but, I… I don't want him to leave._

"...yes, I am leaving," Link replies.

"You mean, you already have a way home and everything?"

Link turns to the girl from his world, who's sitting behind him on the same horse.

"I know where the portal is to our world," she explains. "Anyone can walk through and pass into the other world, and vice versa. So, yes, technically speaking, Link and I have a way home, 'and everything.'"

I look down.

_That's it… After we rescue Alex, he's gone. Back to his world, and then I probably won't ever see him again._

"Well… You'll be able to come back, right, Link?" I hopefully ask.

"Yeah, I can do that."

"That's... " I stutter. "That's good, at least."

The rest of the trip to Ehrmich is completely silent, with the exception of smalltalk between Armin and Eren.

**. . .**

"Welcome to District Ehrmich," Link says as we pass under the gate leading into the district. "That's what Alex said when we went to Yarckel. Except, y'know, instead of Ehrmich he said Yarckel. Anyway, anyone have a plan?"

I notice that Link's in quite a cheerful mood. His mood rubs off on the rest of the group, as well. They chat up a storm on how to rescue Alex without causing too many problems; by the time we have everything in place, it's nighttime.

Ehrmich has been reconstructing, and a good portion has already been finished. With the exception of a small part where Eren fought Annie, the district doesn't seem like it was ever damaged too much. A good bit of people have come back to the district to reclaim their houses and such, as well… However, Fraternity Rose is nowhere in sight.

Just before bed, I find myself sitting with Armin and Eren on a bed in the place we're staying at. Eren's the one that wanted us to talk.

"So… I feel like we haven't actually _talked_ lately. We've been caught up in all of this mess and we were recovering at HQ, so… yeah. How have you guys been?" Eren asks Armin and I.

"Well," Armin replies, "I'd put it simply as internally terrified. I'm confident all of us are at least a little bit… I've - no, _we've -_ seen many of our comrades die, before our eyes… It's like, what if I'm next? What if one of you is next? The way that man, Maxus, randomly murdered Krista without hesitation, it just… It made me think that could've been me, and it only would've taken him to randomly select me. How easily people come ago in this, as Sasha put it, 'death crusade,' just terrifies me. That's - that's how I've been."

I begin, "I have nothing to say other than I'm alive, as are you two. When this is the case, it's all good. How have you been, Eren?"

Eren lays back onto the pillow and looks to the ceiling.

"Since Krista died, I've taught myself to… push my feelings to the side and focus on what's important. That's what Levi told me Scouts have to do one day, because they see death all the time. If we look at the bright side, it's not… that bad. We've taken care of...Annie… and it's not as crazy as it was when she was… alive."

Eren seems to be agitated by the thought of Annie, I notice.

He continues, "Now, all we need to do is rescue Alex, maybe take care of this Fraternity nonsense and go back home. From then, we look to the future."

"Mikasa," Armin says a few moments after Eren finishes. "I've been meaning to mention this, but… I noticed… I noticed your reaction to Link saying he found a way back to his home."

I tense up a bit.

"And what of it?"

"I noticed you seemed bewildered at first, then… then just plain sad. You know that's where he's been meaning to go, right? He once told me he didn't even mean to enter this world, and only wished to return home."

Eren joins in on the conversation. "If he wanted to go home, why'd he decide to join our 'death crusade'?"

"Because that's Link," I say. Both look to me.

"He's the type to want to do whatever he can to help the people around him. He… disregards his personal feelings, thoughts, and emotions, and instead tries his best to aid others. That's why he joined the death crusade. It's what he'd do."

Armin stares blankly for a moment, and then smiles.

"So that's why," he says.

_**the next morning** _

Crowded around a table with a highly detailed map of District Ehrmich, Armin explains the plan to attack Fraternity Rose as well as save Alex. And when means attack, he means it - we're supposed to take out as many of their soldiers as possible and hopefully one of the top three - _Jessica Arrowheart, Lex Arrowheart, and Maxus Riverwell._ Armin is seemingly indifferent when speaking about killing people.

He takes a pencil and marks our current location, then draws multiple arrow to different parts of Ehrmich. "Link, you follow this path, and once you're at the end of where the arrow points, stop. Mikasa, you do the same with _this_ arrow, Eren with this one, Sasha and Jean with this one, and, uh… Z-"

"Zelda," the girl from Link's world interrupts.

"Right, Zelda. You do the same as everyone else. Peter, you make sure things run smoothly. Alright, Link discovered the FR plan to take over this district, and I believe all of these points on the map are where they'll strike first. You get there before they do, it makes it much harder for them. Take out as many as possible and make your way north when you'll regroup _here_ ," he explains, pointing at a northern section of the Ehrmich map. "From here, at least two of the top three will be pursuing you, and you all should be strong enough to deal with them, so… when you're ready, go to _this_ area, where all of their carriages are at, which is where I'm pretty sure Alex is. Save Alex and report back here immediately."

"Oh, and one more thing," Armin says, "don't leave _anyone_ behind."

"Well, let's do this," Link says. "Time to save Alex."

And once we're ready to leave, we exit the building. We're all armed with ODM gear we looted from Fraternity Rose, except for Link and his friend, and our blade-carriers are filled to the max. Sasha has her bow, and Link has his green-flame sword. Confidently, we stroll onto the streets, and begin walking.

Our threatening appearance scares the locals into scurrying into their homes. Once we reach a certain point, the group splits up to go our separate paths. I walk to what seems to be a portion of town square… Everything seems familiar, except without the constant sense of dread and panic. Instead, I feel determined.

These guys have kidnapped someone apart of our "death crusade," and I deem that unacceptable. Therefore, I, as well as everyone else in the crusade, am going to do whatever it takes to have him back.

And I do. Once I spot an FR, I sprint towards him and slash at him with my ODM sword, and then slam him onto the ground. The people around me scream and flee the scene. Good. More appear as I spot Link taking on several at once across the town square. I hack, slash, stab, and kick all that come my way… I begin to wonder what Fraternity Rose planned on carrying out to take over this district, but push that thought away when I'm almost shot in the head.

I spot Sasha and Jean sniping the FRs from a rooftop in the distance. I see Link's friend, Zelda, constantly punching and kicking them to the ground in some kind of alleyway, and Eren, in titan form, literally throwing chunks of sidewalk at them.

_This… This is our group. Causing this much havoc to save one kid._

I feel even more determined when we group back up in the northern portion of Ehrmich. People are running about, scared out of their mind, and FRs are either also running away or running to their demise. Eventually, Jessica comes along and relentlessly pursues Sasha, but Jean helps out and they manage to keep her at bay. Lex charges at Eren in his titan form, but Eren's superb hand-to-hand combat skills end up throwing Lex into a building. And finally, once the leader comes along, Link and Zelda are the first to fight him. Both of them combined are able to match Maxus's strange titan powers.

All that's left is me. The group's obviously fine right now, so I decide to head for Alex. I use my ODM gear to fly through the chaos ensuing Ehrmich, and make my way to the place Alex is being held. I land in a blocked-off portion of the district and look for a group of carriages, as Armin described. Once I spot them, someone impacts me from the side and tackles me. I struggle my way to my feet to see Jessica Arrowheart. She's smirking.

"Hey, dumbass, mind telling us what the _hell_ you guys are doing here?" she questions. I give her a confused look.

"How? Sasha… she-"

"Sasha? She can't keep up with me. Neither can that other dude. No, I-I knew there would be someone trying something like this when we were all occupied. We're not stupid. So, dumbass, _answer the question._ "

"We came to rescue our friend, Alex."

"Alexander Jr.? Are you kidding me? He's _supposed_ to be here. He belongs here."

"W-what are you talking about?"

She sighs. "I'm the little fucker's aunt, and my brother's his dad. Around this time is when… is when…"

Lightning strikes from behind Jessica. She smiles once this happens, then chuckles.

"This is when he receives his titan powers."

_What…? Alex… a titan?_

A titan forms a little ways in front of me. It has blond hair, is _very_ tall, and immediately starts destroying its surroundings. Jessica shoots me a smirk, and then uses her ODM gear to fly onto Alex's titan shoulder.

"Make your aunt proud," she says, then flies back to the main battle. I take out my swords and look to Alex's titan.

_He doesn't know what he's doing, like Eren did the first few times he went titan. I'll have to cut him out…_

_But Alex... a titan… and is Lex's son._

_Alex Arrowheart._

I land a hook in his right shoulder as he slashes at me whilst rummaging through buildings, and swerve around his slender arms. His titan is similar to Lex's, except even taller. He attempts to grab me from off his shoulder after I land, but I dodge and latch onto his nape. I dig my sword into the left side of his neck, making sure I don't hit Alex's body, and look behind me. I can spot my friends fighting it out with Fraternity Rose; none of them know about this.

I direct my attention back to Titan Alex and start slicing his nape around his body and try to pull him out. He won't budge. His titan body reaches for me, and I slash a couple of his titan fingers off, and then allow myself to fall back onto a roof. I take a breather.

_Come on, work with me, Alex._

I fly back up and try again to pull him out - this time, I get a better grip on his torso, and just before he grabs me I fully pull him out and crash down onto the roof behind me. His titan starts steaming and falls to the ground. Alex's body is steaming, as well, and I notice his left arm has grown back. He's unconscious, but alive.

**. . .**

"I've had that feeling before, Zelda," Link says. "When I was fighting a certain enemy known as Annie, she used her, as you call it, 'sorceress powers' to stop me from slicing her head off, but my Triforce suddenly surged power through my body and I easily overcame her. Is this what you're talking about?"

"Yes! Yes. So you _have_ used them…" she replies.

"Used what?"

"I call them tripowers. Speaking of, I don't have mine right now since you have the Wisdom, here, I'll show you how to transfer it back..."

They keep chatting when I decide to walk over by Armin and Eren to see what they're talking about. They're seated at the table with the giant map covering it in the kitchen. A lit candle is in the center of the table, and is the only source of light right now, as it's currently nighttime. Peter is asleep on the other side off said table.

"Alex Arrowheart…" Armin says. "I just can't believe it. And he's a _titan_. Who could've known?"

"Not him," I interrupt. "I don't think he even knew he was a titan, that was his first transformation. That's what Jessica was implying."

"Jessica was there?" Armin asks me.

"The one Sasha was fighting, right?" Eren also asks.

"Yes, and yes - she said around this time was when Alex would receive his powers, and a few seconds later the lightning struck, and there he was. I cut him out pretty easily after that, though."

"And he has his arm back…" Eren comments. "That reminds me of a conversation we had back at the Scout HQ..."

"In any case," Armin begins speaking, "we're back together and nothing bad seems to be happening. We scared FR out of Ehrmich and got Alex back, and Sasha's wound is healing pretty fast."

"Of course it is!" Sasha says from the other side of the kitchen. She's holding two cups of coffee in each hand and a partial loaf of bread in her mouth.

"Link, you're coffee's ready!" she yells. A distant "yes!" is heard after that, and Link comes running into the kitchen to grab his coffee.

"I ain't that weak," Sasha continues. "'Tis just a flesh wound."

"Sasha, an arrow impaled your leg," Jean points out.

"Such a thing shall not hinder me, Jean." Jean chuckles.

I lay back in my chair and close my eyes for a moment. For that moment, I feel… At peace. Armin's right; nothing really _is_ wrong. Even after Link leaves, I have all of my friends here to be with… All is well.

My peace is interrupted when I hear Link saying loudly, "What is it? What's wrong, Zelda?"

I stand up and look at Zelda. A three-triangle tattoo-looking symbol on her left hand is glowing, and she's hyperventilating. A look of horror is on her face.

"Zelda, what is wrong?!"

"HIM…" she sputters out.

She coughs, and takes all of the cloth off of her face. She puts her right hand over the glowing triangle symbol.

"He-he's here. In this world. He…. He is close. I-I can feel it. Link... Oh no..." she says. Tears fill her eyes.

"Who, Zelda? Tell me, who? Who is here?"

She looks deeply into Link's eyes, and says, "Vaati."


	28. Godspeed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New enemies, and new friends.

_**Link's Point of View** _

I'm back at the Ehrmich hotel our group all pitched in to rent, with Zelda, Mikasa, and the others. It's pretty late. I don't feel that tired. Still willing to drink coffee, though.

"So… how does this work?" I ask. Zelda, still dressed in her sleek Sheik costume, takes part of the cloth muffling her face and looks at me. "What does it feel like?"

"You've felt it before, Link," she responds calmly. "Well, what it feels like to _receive_ a piece, I even talked to you about it…"

The image of slicing Annie's head off, along with the memories of that moment, come rushing to my mind. I was on a rooftop at night, fighting that titan girl, when she started to overwhelm me. Somehow, it felt like something awakened inside of me, and I felt it rushing through my body. I… I channeled that energy towards beating Annie, and… Well, I _beat her._

"I think…" I reply, still picturing that moment.

"It feels like you've suddenly grown much stronger than before, and it makes you feel capable of almost anything. Giving one away usually feels the opposite."

"I've had that feeling before, Zelda," I say. "When I was fighting a certain enemy known as Annie, she used her, as you call it, 'sorceress powers' to stop me from slicing her head off, but my Triforce suddenly surged power through my body and I easily overcame her. Is this what you're talking about?"

"Yes! Yes. So you _have_ used them…" she replies.

"Used what?"

"I call them tripowers. Speaking of, I don't have mine right now since you have the Wisdom, here, I'll show you how to transfer Triforce pieces..."

_Tripowers… I've never heard of that. Weird._

"First off," she continues, "It's much easier to transfer when you're touching the person, but it's still possible to when you're not, like that one time you were fighting the so-called 'Annie' and I did so from afar."

"Link, your coffee's ready!" Sasha shouts from another part of the slightly crowded hotel room. I excitedly smile, saying "Yes!"

She abruptly grabs both of my hands and stares deeply into my eyes.

"Feel the power, Link…" she calmly tells me. "Feel the power of the Triforce, surging through every vein in your body; you are its master. Picture the Triforce in your mind, and focus on Wisdom. Then, picture me, with the Wisdom, and clutch my hands. Give me that power, Link, give me the Triforce of Wisdom."

I carefully do exactly what Zelda says. She looks to me, and I look to her; I'm afraid I'm going to mess up, so I try my hardest not to. I haven't seen Zelda in forever… Making a stupid mistake is the last thing I should do right now, in front of her. I remember her dressed as Sheik, guiding me through my adventures, and messing around with her at Hyrule Castle when I would get bored; sometimes, I'd spend all day trying to sneak into that castle just to see her. I concentrate very hard; after half a minute, I feel like I've lost power. I look at my left hand to see one of the Triforce pieces shining brighter than the others - _Courage._

But for some reason, the other two are shining as well. Not as much as Courage, but more than usual. At first, I think it's because Zelda is near me, but the Power is also shining. I look to her in confusion to be greeted by a horrific, terrified look upon that sweet girl's face.

"Zelda? Are you okay?"

"What's wrong?"

No response.

"What is it? What's wrong, Zelda?" I ask loudly, standing up. Everyone in the room directs their gaze to me and Zelda.

"Zelda, what is wrong?!"

"HIM…" she sputters out. She looks at me, keeping her terrified expression. She then looks away, and coughs, taking more of the cloth off of her face. I notice her right hand clutching her Triforce symbol on her left hand.

"He-he's here. In this world. He…. He is close. I-I can feel it. Link… Oh no..." she says. Tears fill her eyes.

"Who, Zelda? Tell me, who? Who is here?"

She cautiously, nervously gazes into my eyes. "Vaati," she says.

"What? Vaati? Who the hell is Vaati?!" I ask her. "Where is he?"

She stands up and grabs my arm, clearly shaken by this Vaati guy. Zelda's scared, and that's the only thing on my mind right now.

"He's gonna… He can't…" she says whilst she drops to the ground. My heart starts racing, and I start freaking out. Nobody around me is saying anything - _what can they say?_ They're all taken aback by Zelda's sudden outburst, which, regarding her usually calm attitude, worries the hell out of me.

She looks up at me with tears filling her eyes.

"Link… help me."

"Of course I will! I'd do anything… but please, tell me, who is Vaati, where is he, and why is he making you so damn scared?!" I continually question, squatting down in front of her.

"He's the one who… caused everything. Took over Hyrule. The reason I'm here, looking for you… The one who gave that girl you fought her powers," she tells me, regaining her calmness.

She continues, "But HOW? How is he here, _why_ is he here?! How does he know _I'm_ here?" She stands back up, as do I. "Link, he's close to us, as well as another strange person. They're coming for us. We have to go, immediately."

"Strange person? What?"

"This shadow-person… Hold on… He… looks like _you_ , Link!"

"Shadow Link! He's with the - the Vaati guy! He's been causing problems ever since I got here!"

Not taking the slightest moment to process anything, I turn around. "Everyone, we need to leave immediately."

"What's going on?" asks Mikasa. Jean, Sasha, Armin, and Eren come closer into the room, confused. The only ones missing are Alex, who's sleeping, and that Peter guy, who went out earlier to "do stuff." The air is tense; my heart is racing; Zelda is still freaking out, and the others have not a clue of what is going on.

"Somebody very bad, and dangerous is here... But I can't explain, we have no time! I'm gonna go find Peter, meet me by the entrance to the district." I look to Armin and Eren. "Keep Zelda safe."

They nod, and begin hastily packing their bags and shuffling about. I frantically search for my items bag and almost try to reach for my hookshot when I remember I no longer have it, and the sight of my right hand reminds me that I lost my right ring finger back in Utopia. I instinctively begin trying to remember where I let Epona stay, when I realize I never even brought her in the first place. She's still at the Scout HQ. _That's good,_ I think.

My shaking, finger-missing right hand slowly opens the door. Once the wooden door is completely open, I see no chaos ensuing the area - just the normal District Ehrmich, with its concrete and stone streets, crowds shuffling down the sidewalk, and its clear, night sky. Stone and wooden buildings span the length of the streets, and people are constantly entering and exiting said buildings. Though obnoxiously loud and filled with people, it's much better than the alternative, like when Annie appeared out of nowhere, fighting Eren in their titan forms.

I finally step outside and close the wooden door behind me.

_Let's do this._

I scan my immediate surroundings. There's a large street directly in front of me, the hotel-house behind me, grass and other hotel-houses to the left and right of me. I sprint to the street, running past tons of other people. I almost run into a few, and they all glare at me.

"You know what those stupid wall-cultists are making out of all of this?" someone asks amidst the crowd.

"What's that?" another says.

"It's because we 'didn't take care of the walls' that all of this titans-versus-titans stuff came about. Like, seriously?"

"Oh, yeah, I heard that. There's also a rumor going around that they absolutely _hate._ "

"Haha, what?"

"That _titans_ live in the walls. Remember that giant-ass fight in one of those northern districts? Some people who survived that say they saw a bunch of those wall-cultists and other 'people in blue' were trying to cover some parts of the wall so they didn't show the titans."

"That's interesting. Heh."

_Dammit… This is bad,_ I think. _Something's going to happen any minute now even worse than what happened last time in Ehrmich… And everyone but me and my friends are completely oblivious._

_I don't have my hookshot, my ocarina, and, even worse, my Fierce Deity Mask. Annie - no, Titan Girl - destroyed all three of them. Now, I might have to face the person who gave that girl her powers in the first place. And that person is probably ten times more powerful than she is. I'm completely screwed!_

Sighing, I think, _Despite that, one of my newer friends is out here, also oblivious. All I can do is push aside my fear and focus on getting him back._

I unsheathe my sword to prepare for the absolute worst. My Gilded Sword still, for some reason, has a green flame-like substance around it, like it's part of the sword itself. Weird. Ever since the first battle I had with Annie in Utopia, when I cut her head clean off (but it didn't even kill her), that same green flame has just stuck to my sword. I'm not bothering with figuring out why it's there, just admiring the fact that it made it so much better.

In the midst of walking about, trying to find Peter, my Triforce begins resonating even stronger. _They're getting closer._ Peter's supposedly trying to meet up with someone he knows from this district, and it's not too far from here. That's all of the information I have. Not to mention, it's night, so it's hard to see, and something horrible is probably about to happen.

At one point I find myself in an alleyway between two large, brick structures. There's a stone fence at the end of the alley; it's damp, dark, and I'm exhausted. Despite that, I then turn around and return to searching for Peter.

Shadow Link is standing there, at the entrance to the alleyway, glaring at me.

I step back and take a defensive position. He unsheathes his sword, and I see a dark flame engulfing his dark version of my sword. The shadow then begins lurching toward me.

"Shit! You?! What're you doing here?!" I shout at him.

" _It's too late,"_ I hear a voice say as the shadow halts. The voice is similar to mine, but a bit more distorted, monotonous, and deep.

_Did he just… Talk to me telepathically? What the hell?_

I realize I'm getting distracted by this annoying clone and charge forward with my sword. He tries to sidestep, but I slow down before he does so, and I'm able to kick him to the ground. Before he has any time to react, I point my sword in his face and glare down at him. My Triforce is seemingly freaking out, also, like it's… trying to come out of me, or something.

"Don't get in my way! Got it? I'm kinda busy, so kindly _screw off!_ " I yell down at him. He doesn't respond, as usual. I then sprint away from the scene.

Making my way back into the crowd, my Triforce begins to calm down. But once I get Shadow Link off my mind, I spot his annoying-ass shadow figure sprinting towards me. _Shit._ He leaps into the air, and comes crashing down on me, but just before we clash Mikasa comes _out of nowhere_ and punches him square in the face from behind me. I turn around.

"What're you doing here?" I ask her.

"You were taking too long. We need to get out of here immediately, like you said, Link. Peter will be fine."

"You don't know that!" I yell. "Even if you do, he's coming with us, we're not leaving him behind! You're already here, so help me look for him."

Shadow Link gets back up within the minute. He pulls out his bow and begins shooting at me and Mikasa, and we barely dodge every time he does so. I slice a few out of midair, roll under a few, and take cover behind the many multi-storied brick structures. As I slowly make my way towards him, Mikasa does the same, and once I'm in slicing distance I try to jab him with my sword. He jerks back in an attempt to dodge, but ends up tripping over himself.

"You!" I say to the shadow. "Stop causing me problems! Jeez."

"Is this why you were taking so long?" Mikasa asks. "Fighting this guy?"

I nod my head.

"Then allow me," she tells me, and jumps forward as Shadow Link hops back onto his feet. The two clash; Mikasa is using her ODM gear sword, but does not have her actual ODM gear, and Shadow Link is using his dark version of the Gilded Sword. I intrust my shadow clone to her, and begin looking for Peter.

_Think like Peter would think. Wait. How does Peter think?_

_I really don't know this guy that well. But that matters not! He's with us. Like Alex earlier today, everybody apart of our "death crusade" will stick together, and fight to save each other._

_I got this._

"PETER!" I scream. "PETER! PETER! COME ON! WE GOTTA GO!"

My voice echoes throughout my surroundings, and, luckily enough, a certain person pops their head out of a window from the top of a building and looks towards me. That person catches my gaze and I realize it's none other than freakin' Peter, with his shaggy blond hair and weird-lookin' face.

"PEEETEERR!" I screech at him. "GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE SO WE CAN GO!"

"WHAT?" he yells back, confused.

"HURRY UP! WE HAVE TO GO, RIGHT NOW!"

"WHY?"

"SHUT UP AND HURRY UP! NO TIME TO EXPLAIN!"

"OKAY, FINE! BY THE WALLS, KID, CALM DOWN!"

He comes stumbling out the door a minute later. He almost trips, but I stop him from doing so. His face looks exhausted; he's holding a bottle of some sorts, too. I quickly figure out what's going on.

"Peter, what the hell? Are you drinking _that_ crap? Especially how things are _now_?"

"Maybe, I dunno, but why we gotta leave so early?!" he sputters out, chuckling.

"You fiend! Is this what alcohol really does to a person? Well, whatever. Doesn't matter, just get a move on!" I yell at him.

Mikasa comes into sight with two horses; she's riding one, and holding the rope of the other. The townspeople hastily jump out of her way and shout at her to slow down, but they're quieted once Shadow Link arrives at the scene, hopping about and trying to stab Mikasa.

"Get on!" she shouts. We comply - I hop onto the other horse and let Peter climb on as well; good thing we have these horses or else getting Peter out of here would've _sucked._

I look back and spot Shadow Link standing in the middle of the street. Terrified glares surround him, as well as uneasiness. He doesn't move. And as the citizens of Ehrmich begin fearing another incident like on that certain day not too long ago, a figure appears in the sky. A figure I can almost… _sense._ It's floating ways above the street, and is glaring down at me. It's wearing a purple garb and cap, and its eyes are shining white.

_Vaati._

**. . .**

Before any real chaos broke out in the unlucky Ehrmich District, my group escaped to Zingi Field. We set up camp somewhere along those lines, and Sasha made a fire that we're all crowded around - me, Mikasa, Zelda, Eren, Armin, Sasha, Jean, Peter, and also Alex, who's finally awake.

"Did you guys know?" Sasha asks us. "Connie's village isn't too far away from here."

"Where is it?" Jean asks in response. He looks down, into the fire.

"Directly south of here." She half-smiles, then lays down on her back, looking to the stars. I look over to Zelda, to the right of me; she's also looking at the stars.

"Tired, Zelda?" I ask her. She no longer has her Sheik costume on but instead a normal outfit Sasha lent her. Her long, blonde hair is finally completely visible, as well as her calm, blue eyes…

"I am not, I just like to gaze at the night sky before I sleep," she responds.

"You know," I continue, "I mean no disrespect, but you don't need to be so formal with me." She looks towards me.

"Apologies, it's a habit I've acquired throughout my childhood."

"Do you care if I don't refer to you as 'Your highness' and bow every time I see you?" I jokingly ask. She smiles.

"Just treat me as a fellow comrade and I think I will be completely fine, Link."

I notice the silent Alex gazing down at his left hand. He's studying it very closely - I wouldn't blame him, if I grew back an arm I'd be staring at it all day. Eren, who's sitting between Mikasa and Armin, notices this.

"How're you doing, Alex?" he asks, calmly. He gives Alex a genuine, warm smile.

"That's quite the difficult question. I.. I'm bewildered, even now," he answers. "I don't remember any of it, though."

"You attacked Mikasa, like I did when I was still learning how to be a titan," Eren tells him. "You didn't hit her, though, so it's all good."

He raises his head. "Thank you, guys, for coming to get me, and dealing with my titan form. I… I don't know what would've happened if I stayed, but I'm glad I didn't find out."

"Once we get back to Scout HQ, would you wanna train with me?"

Alex's face lights up, and he smiles.

"I'll… teach you how to use your titan form, probably with Hanji or something, and also… teach you how to fight, just like… _she_ did."

"Sounds great!" Alex replies. "You're already so experienced with being a titan and all… I'm glad I won't have to figure it out for myself…"

"The first time Eren went titan," Armin starts, gazing into the crackling fire under the night sky, "we had no idea it was him, and he wasn't aware of it, just like you, Alex. 'Twas during the Battle of Trost, and he fought titan after titan for many hours until he finally collapsed."

Armin chuckles a bit. "Despite that, by the time he woke up we were being threatened by the Garrison because they found out he was a titan, even though he only helped us unlike the other titans. It was certainly a weird time…"

"Weirder than _now?_ " Jean interrupts. "I doubt it."

"Touché," Armin responds.

"I mean, you have Annie with her weird powers, boy wonder over here and his shadow friend, and now his girlfriend and the purple guy. Did I mention the purple guy was flying?"

"Well, if you put it like that, yeah, Trost was nothing in comparison to this. Life… really _does_ get crazier. The idea that there's… multiple universes, or possibly infinite universes, never even crossed my mind as a child. The most I wondered about is what lies outside of these giant walls. Now, by chance, we have Link, who's from another universe, here, in ours. Heh, what's next? Going to the moon?"

"Going to another universe seems more bizarre than going to the moon, if you ask me," Peter finally chimes in. "You know, with the right tools, you really _could_ go to the moon."

The image of that horrifying moon from Termina gets stuck in my mind. Every time "moon" is mentioned, that's all I can think about.

"Uh, I highly doubt that," Jean argues, laying down on his back with his hands under his head. "Not possible."

"Like I said, if you can travel to another universe, Jean-y boy, you can probably do anything, which includes going to the moon."

"Did you just refer to me as 'Jean-y boy?'"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

"Eh… It's better than horse-face, I guess."

Following that conversation, there's about a minute of silence. It isn't until Armin starts talking again that it stops begin quiet.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you, Sasha?" he asks. She's sitting back up, staring into the fire. She looks like she's thinking _really_ hard about something.

"Sasha?" he continues. "Are you awake?"

"What?" she asks abruptly, jerking back into reality. She looks around for a second and then turns her head to Armin. "Y-yes, I'm awake, what's up?"

"You haven't eaten anything since lunch, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I-I'm completely fine. I just… I had a _really_ weird dream just now." She continues staring into the fire.

"About what?" he asks, curious.

"I don't really know. I'm going back to sleep, so good night."

"Link," Zelda asks whilst gazing at the stars. I quickly turn my head to her.

"What course of action are we taking tomorrow? I know not of this world, so I don't have any idea about the places we should travel."

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest. Sasha, you mentioned Connie's village to be directly south of here?"

She doesn't answer. _Weird._

"Well, whatever." I turn my head back to Zelda. "It's probably Situation City. That's what I nicknamed it. I had some problems there, but… the people there are probably kind-hearted, if they come to understand us. If we take shelter there for a few days, we could get back on our feet until we have to face the Vaati guy."

"Ragako," Armin says. "The city's name is Ragako."

**. . .**

"But, anyway, Link, if you want to stand a chance against that monster you _must_ learn how to use the tripowers. He can use… the 'anti'-tripower, and it's even stronger. When we get to this village, I'll start teaching you, okay?"

"Sounds good, Zelda. Let's get going, alright?"

"As you wish," she replies. Our group begins travelling to the city known as Ragako - where I was seen as a Goron, and was pursued by the villagers of that town. Intelligent Woman's face comes to mind. She… That woman sure did cause me some trouble, but I hope she'll be willing to accept us.

We ride on our horses through Zingi Field, its grass as tall and lush as ever. The morning sun slowly rises upwards; the sky gets brighter as well. We're currently riding southwards. The sense of adventure emitted by the field raises my spirits. The people around me who I've been travelling with for a while get rid of the loneliness I experienced in Termina.

_No matter what,_ I think, _I'm not leaving this world until all of its problems are gone._

And as we speed through the plains, towards our uncertain destination, I spot a shadowy figure looming in the distance, glaring at us. I sense a dark vibe from its direction, and notice that it's holding up the back of its right hand - _Shadow Link, showing his Antitriforce._

_I'll kick your ass one of these days, my shadowy clone. I guarantee it._

He does not pursue us, but instead just keeps watching from his position until he's out of view.

And after a bit more travelling, we finally make it to Ragako. Everyone here, except for me, Zelda, and Alex, are armed with hookshot gear - well, they call it "ODM gear." We've got a good night's rest and some pretty powerful people on our side. I'd say, after avoiding a potentially catastrophic confrontation back in Ehrmich, we're doing pretty damn good.

Our luck is put to test once we approach the village and the townspeople notice us. The same brick house I accidentally crashed into as a Goron is still there, along with the giant crack left in it. The man living in that house steps outside when he notices us through the window; none of the curious townspeople seem to remember me. I let out a sigh of relief and my tensions are lifted as I hop off of my horse, along with the rest of my group. _Thank Hylia,_ I think. _Hopefully Intelligent Woman isn't lurking around somewhere._

"What business does the Scout Regiment have here?" one of the men asks. He's holding a spear, ready to attack, but doesn't seem _too_ hostile.

Armin takes the lead as he steps to the front of our group. "We were recently ambushed, and we were hoping we could stay here for a bit to get back on our feet." Armin's confident, hopeful tone of voice is responded with warm smiles and welcomes from the people of the village. We're still in front of the cracked house, and there are a few trees surrounding us; it's the edge of the village, the northern edge to be precise, so there aren't many people aware of our presence.

Before they all let us in, some of the people step back and talk amongst themselves, discussing the recent events involving the Scouts. _They seem really unified… I like that._

But once I'm convinced they'll let us stay, _you-know-who_ appears. Coming out of nowhere from the crowd of twentysomething people in front of my group, she points her new dual pistols straight at me. She has light, red hair, hanging down to the bottom of her neck, has a spear on her back, and has two pouches on her waist for her pistols. Reminds me of that one guy from Yarckel.

"It's you!" I yell out. I jump back and take out my sword. Everybody looks to her and me in confusion as she paces over to me.

She stops about three meters in front of me, and then asks, "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing here?"

"Calm down! Just hear me out," I plead. I go ahead and put my sword back in its sheathe. Last time, I acted more defensively and didn't try my hardest to not stir up conflict; I'll try to do better this time.

"You have one minute to explain before I-"

Mikasa abruptly slaps the woman while she's talking and shoves her to the ground.

"What the hell, Mikasa?!" I shout. It's the exact same mistake I made, but still, I wasn't _that_ aggressive.

"Before we tell you _anything_ I'd like it if you put those weapons down. Do you understand?" Mikasa tells her.

"Fine," she replies, reluctantly putting her dual guns on the grassy ground and kicking them off to the side. "Now, go ahead."

Armin begins talking. "I don't know what happened here with Link and all, but he's with us, and we're just looking for a place to stay for a bit, see, we were attacked in Ehrmich and have nowhere else to go right now."

"Who attacked you?" she asks, curious.

"We don't even know that, that's why we can't blindly counterattack."

"I see. I would let you guys stay, it's just your friend here caused a widespread panic to Ragako and I don't feel comfortable letting him in here."

I get irritated by her remark, and reply, "You people cornered me! What was I _supposed_ to do, woman? Remember, before any of you attacked me, I _gave_ you an out."

"Does that justify the tons of property damage you inflicted trying to escape in that 'monster-form' of yours?"

"Like I said, it didn't have to be that way. I was on a tight schedule and there was _no other way._ "

"Bullshit! If you had simply laid down your weapons and complied with what we said there would have been no problems."

"I beg to differ. You insulted me, threatened me, and yes, while I do feel I was a bit too defensive it's nothing compared having a gun and fortysomething spears pointed at me. Look, I mean absolutely no harm and I'm willing to put aside our differences. You all seem like nice people, can we please just rent a place, chill for a day or two, and leave? Zingi's still in bad shape, Ehrmich's not an option, MH is too dangerous and this was the closest and safest village to come to."

She thinks for a moment.

"Fine. A few days is all you have, and if I suspect _any_ funny business you're all gone immediately."

"Understood," I say. _Thank Hylia, that went good. Not the best case scenario, but better than what I was expecting._

The seemingly happy people of the town begin walking back to their houses. I instinctively look to Mikasa with a face of relief, who's now atop her horse, along with the rest of my group. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Zelda, Sasha, Jean, Peter, and Alex… they've followed me all the way here, despite knowing a monster from _my_ land has come about to cause havoc. I almost feel guilty about it, but honestly I've found myself loving to have people travelling about with me versus saving the world on my own, or with a fairy companion. I guess it's because I helped them defeat Annie, so maybe they are willing to help me out with this 'Vaati' guy whom I know absolutely _nothing_ about.

At the very least, I'm grateful to have these people by my side, even if just for now.

Before we get settled into a house, Zelda tells me something.

"That woman… I don't know why you two had a feud, but I can tell… she's a good person, Link."

I chuckle. "How do you know _that?_ "

"She gives off that _vibe._ I cannot explain it, but, if you will, listen to her with an open mind and talk with her."

"About what?"

"Everything. In the meantime, I assume, you should really start learning tripowers."

**. . .**

After a brief demonstration of the 'tripowers' Zelda's been going on about, Armin came along and told me _you-know-who_ wants to see me. I sigh, roll my eyes, and begin dreading for what she has to say. I remind myself to keep an open mind like Zelda said, though. We meet in a certain cottage on one of the busier streets; the traffic and such is absolutely nothing compared to Zingi or Ehrmich, but much more than, say, Kakariko Village. Towns in this world seem to be much bigger than back in Hyrule.

Inside the cottage is a hard, wooden floor, many tables with complex equations and half-built gadgets lying on them, and tons of candlelights spanning the entire place. Armin and I sit down at a small, round table with Intelligent Woman on the other side. None of her weapons are visibly present and the magic-infused sword on my back doesn't seem to phase the woman. And, for once, she doesn't look like she wants to kill me.

"Alright, you two. I was told to keep an open mind about all of you, and honestly, I'm willing to, under one condition."

"What's that?" Armin asks.

"Inform me of everything that's been going on ever since the Scout Regiment revealed they had a god damn _titan_ working for them."

"Compared to what's happening now, that's old news. Indeed, we do have a soldier that can take the form of a titan; in fact, he's here with us right now."

The woman is taken aback. "Are you serious? In this town? Why the _hell_ wasn't I told this?"

"My apologies. Don't worry, he's not going to wreak havoc here or anything like that," Armin calmly reassures her.

"What's you two's names?" she asks.

"I'm Armin, and he's Link," he tells her.

"Armin, Link, I'm Siciline, and I still want to know what's been happening in all of those northern districts and such. We usually try to stay out of everyone's business, but when there are titans fighting other titans and kids that can transform into monsters like Link here, it _kinda_ worries me."

"I get what you mean, ma'am… To tell a long story short, just as a titan we call the Female Titan appeared, Link arrived as well, and he helped us defeat her. She wanted to capture the titan that was on our side, but ultimately, we defeated her in District Utopia, and Link's been with us since then."

"What do you mean by 'arrived'?"

"It's complicated," Armin quickly replies.

"Well, I've got the time, boy."

I decide to speak up. "Let's just put it this way: I'm not from inside the walls."

"Do you mean there are people living _outside_ the walls, then? How can _that_ be possible with all of them titans wandering about out there? Where did you come from, anyway? Is there some sort of fortified utopia or something?"

_It was hard enough explaining to Armin, Mikasa, and the others, and even then, they barely even know anything about where I'm from. I'll keep it simple._

"I guess you could say that," I tell her. "But, anyway, a certain person from the same place I'm from also came here recently, and now he's the one causing all of the problems…"

"So, you brought all of your trouble to us?" she asks.

_When I think about it, if I didn't come here, Annie wouldn't have been given her powers, and they probably could've defeated her without me… From the start, it's been because of me..._

"Yeah, I guess so... " I reply. "But that doesn't matter. To all of us, that's just another obstacle in our way that we'll do everything to get rid of. We're a team above all else, to hell with what everyone else thinks. I helped these people with their problems, they seem to want to help me with mine, it's all good. Take a look at your village, how unified the community is - that's what I want to be."

Armin smiles for a moment. "He's right," he says. "No matter where he comes from and what his past is like… he helped us when we needed it, and we're thankful."

Siciline thinks for a moment. "So, what I'm getting from all of this is that you're a good guy?"

"Indeed," I say.

"You'll protect us from all of the crazy madness that's been happening ever since the titan-soldier appeared?"

"I'll do my best," I say with a smile. She again thinks for a moment.

"In that case, feel free to stay here as long as you like," she says, half-smiling. She seems convinced I'm not some monster that crashes into random houses like the first impression I gave her, but simply a person trying to do good.

"And, by the way, what the hell's with that sword of yours?" she curiously questions. I unsheathe it and place it on the table. Its green flame is still there, covering the entire length of the sword and rising in the air a few centimeters; it's not affecting the table at all, somehow.

"Why… does it have a green flame on it?"

"I'm not so sure myself… Back in Utopia, I was fighting that Female Titan - cut her head clean off, but of course that didn't kill her. I must've hit the right spot, and then had some of her power transfer over to my sword, and since then that green flame has been there."

"You probably hit somewhere near her neck," Armin chimes in. "That's where a titan's life force is, so it makes sense her powers would reside there as well."

"Madness," she says, studying the yellow sword. "Hell, I don't even know what's real anymore."

"I know the feeling," Armin replies. "I recall dreaming of the world outside the walls as a child, and I was told I was crazy for simply thinking about it… Whatever craziness heads my way from now on, I think I'll be able to accept pretty easily, considering what's happened so far."

"Does the general public know of everything that's going on?" she asks us.

"Half of it," Armin responds. "Mostly through newspapers, and also the fact that a lot of people saw actual fighting taking place, but not much else other than 'titan-versus-titan' and 'Scout Regiment doing stuff.'"

"You know what? I'll write something out about it and send it off to the capital to get the word spread around. It's the least I can do, fellas. Speaking of what I can do, I also have a hobby of creating devices to make life a bit easier, I suppose I can also make some to help you guys fight. A couple of ex-Garrison soldiers live here, and they brought along their ODM gear. I was able to reverse-engineer and create it all on my own, and now lots of people here have the gear."

_Hookshot. She can make me another hookshot. Hell yeah!_

Armin quickly tells her, "There's a kid who travels with us named Alex, I bet he'd be interested in those gadgets you can make, he likes that kind of stuff…"

"I'd also like one of my gadgets that was destroyed to be remade," I say.

"What gadget?"

"It's called the hookshot, it can basically latch onto anything and send me flying in that direction."

"That," she says, standing up, "sounds like something I can make. Tell ya what, I'll have that kid Alex come help me, and I'll see what I can do."

Over the next couple of days, the townspeople are extremely helpful, especially Siciline. She creates enhancements to my group's ODM gear, has a look at Eren's titan transformation, and makes me not one, but two new devices - _the clawshots._ They're like the hookshot, but they latch onto a surface like a claw and can either wrap itself around an object or digs its way into it with its incredibly sharp claws. Eren begins teaching Alex basic hand-to-hand combat, Sasha tours the village twice a day, wondering where Connie's mother lives, Mikasa tests out her new ODM gear with Peter, Jean trains with his bow & arrow with Sasha, Armin discusses with everyone what our next course of action should be, and Zelda continues teaching me tripowers. We're not attacked, nor does any bad news come our way.

Zelda tells me she's teaching me the very basics, because she herself hasn't fully mastered them, and plus, it takes a long time. She says the Triforce powers running through my veins makes me capable of many things I've never known of, but, so far, she's only taught me how to use it to "heighten my senses." After two days of training I'm able to sense attacks just before they happen so I can dodge or counter in time. I'm guessing it's one of those "slowburn" tactics, like Annie and her sorceress powers, and how she had only begun to learn how to use them.

Siciline begins referring to my group as "The Flamers" for some reason. In the letter she's planning on sending to the capital, Mitras, as well as a few other places, that's what she calls us. When I ask her about it, she responds by saying it's inspired by the green flame that engulfs my Gilded Sword. From then on, as well, I begin calling my sword the Flame Sword. After mentioning the fact that Annie destroyed my shield, a new shield was promptly created for me - a green flame symbol is embedded onto its circular front. It's made of steel, is painted red (except for the flame symbol), and is heavier than my Mirror Shield; I nickname it the Red Shield.

Before I know it, we're all stronger than we were before, and already about to leave.

"I think our best bet is to not stay in one place too long or else that place will be destroyed, the prime examples being Zingi, Ehrmich, and Utopia. Your friend Zelda told me you need more time before you face off with the enemy who's pursuing us, so I think we should slowly make our way back to HQ and train whilst doing so. We'll visit Zingi again, and fight Fraternity Rose if we encounter them, and maybe follow them back to their source at Merchant's Heaven. Revisit Yarckel, maybe check out District Orvud, which we've never been to," Armin explains. I nod my head.

"And, one more thing, Link, have you noticed anything… 'off' about Sasha?"

"What do you mean?"

"She's constantly zoning out, hasn't slept much, and goes on walks all the time, like there's something on her mind."

"It's her late best friend's hometown, that might be why… I don't know. Anyway, let's go round up everybody."

Armin and I walk down the dirt roads of Ragako. We pass a fruit stand, and the person running the stand tosses us a couple of oranges that are 'on the house'. I spot some man teaching their kids how to wield a spear in their yard. We also pass by a farm of sorts, with cows, cuccos (they call them chickens), and pigs, as well as a garden; this village really _is_ self-sufficient.

"Why can't I just use the regular gear?" a familiar voice asks from a distance. I turn my head and spot Peter, walking alongside Mikasa. "It feels too weird compared to the regular."

"It's better, it just takes some time getting used to. Trust me," Mikasa replies. She spots me, and promptly begins walking towards me.

"Link, good to see you - when are we leaving?"

"Right now," I reply.

"Link, can I just use the regular ODM gear?" Peter abruptly asks me.

"I don't know, I mean, it's up to you. I don't use that stuff anyway."

"Mikasa won't let me! I like the regular better, and I'm not saying the enhanced is bad, it's just that I prefer the original."

"You two can handle that, I'm not the boss of anyone," I tell him.

"Touché, but, to be fair, neither is she."

Once everyone is ready to go, I notice a confident look on all of their faces, except Sasha, who seems to be devoid of any emotion, like Mikasa usually is. Jean can hit a target from ten meters away with a bow, Mikasa can swerve around buildings with her enhanced ODM gear in a flash, Alex can create cool devices, repair ODM gear, and can throw a decent punch, and I have a new shield and clawshots, also I can predict attacks just before they happen. It's been a good couple of days, and I'm glad I decided to head to Ragako.

The bags on our horses are filled to the brim with food and other supplies. The helpful townspeople bring all of our items to our horses, as well, and just as the sun is in the center of the sky, we're completely ready to leave.

Siciline tells me just one thing right before my departure:

"Godspeed, Link."

And thus, our group returns to the madness better equipped than ever before, ready to face any threat that comes our way. The Flamers, as Siciline calls us, are now back on their feet.

How well-equipped we are is instantly put to the test once Shadow Link returns out of nowhere and totally screws up _everything._


	29. Versus Shadow Link

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow-douchebag comes back to play.

_**Zelda's Point of View** _

_**back during Link's adventure in Termina** _

Ever since Link left, my life has gone to hell. Not only is being separated from my family, having my father killed, and seeing Hyrule fall depress me, but the loneliness is unbearable as well. There's no one to talk to. There's no one to help. The desolate Hyrule is in state of decay, and its princess cannot do anything about it.

I eventually regained the memories from the alternate timeline where Link defeated Ganon and I sent him back to this timeline. I remember being Sheik, too. I was so sure the chaos was all over that I didn't bother learning how to become Sheik again and instead began waiting for Link to return.

Ganondorf was scheduled to be executed shortly after Link departed; however, once that time came, he was able to escape, but was separated from his Triforce of Power, which flew off in a random direction. Despite this, nobody panicked - we thought since he had no Triforce there was no chance of him becoming all-powerful again.

A certain man dressed in purple came about one day. He would always spout nonsense about how Ganondorf and Link needed to be killed to "end the cycle," and one day he was finally arrested. He escaped with ease, and decided to show how serious he was by murdering my father, right before my eyes. I was able to escape, however, but by the time I was safe, Hyrule was gone. Nobody had the power to stand up to him. Nobody knew where he came from. Link, our hero, was off in some other world, oblivious to the events transpiring in our homeland.

And now, nothing has changed. I'm sitting atop a certain hill, gazing at Hyrule Castle from a distance. Parts of its roof have been destroyed, the front wooden gate has a gaping hole inside of it, and the entire exterior is… tainted with blood, and cracked. The new guards wear purple like _he_ does; they do not support _him,_ I presume, but they are too horrified to stand up to _him._

I am no longer scared, however. I'm angry. I cannot rely on Link to save Hyrule this time… _I must do it myself,_ I think. I've learned what the Triforce is truly capable of by spying on _him,_ and also learned of the existence of a dark version of the Triforce. With my Triforce of Wisdom as well as my knowledge of being Sheik in the alternate timeline, I'll train. I'll train so I can save my beloved homeland from that… _monster._ I need to be powerful, like Link is, and take down Vaati, or, at the very least, hold him off until Link returns…

_**present day** _

I had begun teaching Link Tripowers a couple of days ago, but I had only scratched the surface. I taught him that his Triforce of Courage enables him to sense his surroundings, and it allows him to predict a movement a mere second before it happens. Abilities like these are known as "passive" abilities - they do not use energy, and are always on, unlike "active" abilities, which _do_ use energy and are only used when the Triforce bearer calls it.

He learns very quickly and is always eager to learn more. He's already powerful without the powers, too. He's brave, talented, smart, kind… I'll never measure up to him. At the very least, I want to fight for our homeland by his side, and return the era of peace Hyrule was once in.

His only flaw is that he feels the need to solve everyone's problems, and if he doesn't achieve that, he's failed.

"Link," I say, riding my horse next to his.

"Yeah?"

"I've thought about it, and decided to teach you all of the basic tripower abilities instead of focusing on one and moving on to the next. You will train with all known abilities at once."

He turns his head to me. "How many… 'abilities' are there?"

"I only know of a few, and I'm sure there are many, many more. Some are exclusive to certain Triforce pieces, some are available to all. What you shall learn next is how to sense other Triforce holders from afar… so that you may know when danger is headed your way long before it arrives."

"Like how you sensed Vaati back in Ehrmich?" he curiously asks.

"Indeed."

"Oh, yeah, Zelda. You remember my hookshot?"

"Vaguely, I think."

He pulls out two items from a bag hanging from his horse. They look like his "hookshot," but are longer, have a dark-blue tint, and have a sharp, tri-claw at their ends.

"These are the clawshots. Cool, right? Siciline and Alex made them for me."

"Did they? Well, that was nice of them."

Alex, who's riding near the front of the group, turns his head around and says, "You like them, Link? Dude, making those was so fun… I came up with that bombass design and that woman helped me build it."

Link holds them near his face and studies them. "Yeah, thanks, Alex. These babies should be pretty useful in the near future."

In the middle of that sentence I sense a dark vibe to the right of our group. I turn my head to see nothing but grass as far as the eye can see, and some kind of abandoned fortress out in the distance. The vibe disappears almost immediately.

I convince myself it's a mere figment of my imagination and continue on; however, that same vibe appears again, but this time to the _left_ of the group. I realize there's something out there, watching us, and begin to rapidly search the surroundings using my Triforce, and then it hits me.

"Link!" I shout. He turns his head. "That shadow clone of you. He's… He's here!"

"What?!" he replies, bewildered.

"Can you sense it?" I ask him. "The dark vibe…"

"What are you talking about, Zelda!? Where is he?!"

He hops off of his horse and looks all around. The rest of the group stops and looks to him in confusion. I jump off of my horse, as well, and approach 's next to an abnormally large tree in the middle of this giant field, his sword unsheathed, and an angry look on his face. His two clawshots are strapped to both sides of his waist.

"Link!" a black-haired girl in our group shouts from her horse. "What are you doing? We need to go, dammit!"

Another person says, "Why are we stopping? I don't want to fight some powerful guy _just_ after we got a break! Link, come on!"

"It's no use, Jean," a blond-haired boy tells him. "Once he sets his mind to something, that's it…"

"SHADOW ME! WHEREVER YOU ARE, COME OUT! LET'S END THIS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, YOU BASTARD!" Link shouts.

The black-haired boy that can transform into a 'titan' jumps off of his horse. "Link! We don't have time for this shit right now! Hurry the _fuck_ up so we can go!"

"It'll be quick, Eren… I swear."

"That kid has gone crazy…" one of the tall, blond people in our group remarks.

Shadow Link's vibe keeps appearing and reappearing all around me, like he's… teleporting. It's gradually getting closer, too. I can notice Link can feel where he is, too, and is subconsciously turning to where I feel the shadow's vibe. Eventually, a see some kind of dark blue hole appear above Link, and a dark figure zooms out of it. _Shadow Link._

Link immediately dodges, thanks to his heightened senses. The two stop and glare at one another for a moment.

"You've made a grave mistake coming alone, Shadow Link," he tells his shadowy clone. His sword which he has now dubbed the Flame Sword is pointed outwards toward his enemy, and his new Red Shield is equipped as well.

Shadow Link speaks not; instead, he begins charging forward. Before he reaches Link, I decide to step in and block his attack, and I end up knocking the shadow's dark sword out of its hand. He then hops over me and continues running for Link until he's right in front of him. The shadow does not attack, but he _does_ try and grab his clawshots and shield, for some reason… He then hops back and stands there for a moment.

A dark shield and two dark clawshots form out of thin air and appear in Shadow Link's arms. They look identical to Link's shield and clawshots, but are much darker.

_It all makes sense now… They're completely identical. Anything Link has, Shadow Link can have, too, and vice versa… That's one dangerous enemy…_

"You fiend! You think you can copy me? You think you can be a hero? Asshole! I'm the only Link! The only one to ever exist! Got that?"

Shadow Link puts his new items away and points his finger at Link's feet, and a large, blue portal forms beneath him. _Vaati must've taught him that._ Link suddenly falls in and begins yelling.

"LINK!" the black-haired girl shouts.

The shadow jumps forward and looks down at Link, who's falling into oblivion. I almost jump down with him when something latches onto Shadow Link's foot. It's none other than the claw portion of Link's clawshot, digging into his shadowy leg… Abruptly, Shadow Link is pulled into the portal as well by the clawshot, and then the portal closes.

_**Link's Point of View** _

Suddenly, some kind of dark hole forms below me. I abruptly fall down into it and scream for help. _He… He opened a portal! What the hell?! That bastard, trying to get rid of me the easy way!_ I'm surrounded by blackness and continually descending into nothingness.

As the portal above me gets smaller and smaller and I plunge into the darkness I take out one of my clawshots and blindly shoot it upwards. In that moment, I spot Shadow Link's annoying, dark face gazing down at me; the claw latches onto something above, and I'm filled with relief. But that relief is quickly lost when I realize I latched onto Shadow Link and he comes crashing down into the hole with me, then the portal above me closes.

After a few minutes of drifting about in absolute blackness a light begins to shine from below. Shadow Link is still ways above me and is glaring downwards into the light.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I shout at him. "Where are we going?!"

My question is answered once I crash down onto a grassy terrain. I immediately gaze upwards and see Shadow Link coming down as well; I dodge him before he lands. I take in my surroundings for a moment and see that I'm in a village of sorts, in the middle of a forest. It seems… familiar, somehow.

The portal I came out of disappears just as I'm realizing I'm in Kokiri Forest.

_How…? What the hell?_

While I'm standing in disbelief, Shadow Link charges at me and kicks me with both of his feet across my face and I'm sent flying across Kokiri Forest and land right in front of my old treehouse. I rise to my feet, turn around to see the shadow rushing towards me, and I grab my Flame Sword and parry his attack just in time. He stumbles backward for a second, sees the treehouse behind me, and clawshots his way into it.

_You've gotta be freaking kidding me._

I do the same by shooting my clawshot to the top of the doorway to my old treehouse and I fly upwards. Once I enter the house, I see Shadow Link with his dark Flame Sword about to kill what seems to be my past self, asleep on the bed.

"Don't you _dare!_ " I screech at him.

I attack before he has a chance to kill my past self. Though he's seemingly gotten much stronger, I hold my ground and don't let him get too many hits in nor harm the version of me knocked out on the bed. My Red Shield is very useful, as well; I use it to block many attacks that I can't parry in time, but he also has his own version of the Red Shield, too.

After fighting it out in my old treehouse in front of a sleepy, younger me, Shadow Link points to a wall and a portal forms on it. He tries to stun me by bashing his shield against me and then sprints into the portal; unscathed by the bash, I quickly follow suit, pondering how he's travelling throughout time and space so easily.

Like last time, I'm initially drifting in darkness, but after a few moments a light appears and I find myself in yet another familiar place.

_Kakariko Village._

Unlike in the underpopulated Kokiri Forest, people immediately notice me and my shadowy clone as we land atop a rooftop in the middle of the village. I focus my attention solely to Shadow Link instead of soaking in my surroundings to avoid getting kicked again; I pull out my bow, step backwards, and begin shooting Shadow Link. He easily dodges each and every arrow, ducking under them, hopping over them, and blocking them with his shield by the second.

The citizens below naturally begin to freak out, but I still try not to get distracted by them. Unexpectedly, Shadow Link decides to chuck his shield at me like a frisbee, and I block his shield with _my_ shield but that causes me to lose my balance and fall off the rooftop.

I land onto the ground, rise to my feet, and begin sprinting across the village. He keeps up with me by hopping across several rooftops but I eventually trick him into running into a taller house, and he gets and angry and hurls his Flame Sword at me. I dodge, and it lands to the side of me.

"Stop throwing your shit at me and fight!" I yell.

Our fight in Kakariko continues a little while longer. At one point, he sees a cucco walking about in front of him and he kicks it away furiously. The cucco, unaffected, glares at the shadow, then lets out a screech.

I smile. "Ya shouldn'ta did that!"

The other cuccos quickly appear and begin terrorizing him; at first, he easily slices them out of midair but he's overwhelmed in a matter of seconds. He then points to the ground, and a portal forms beneath him. He falls into it, and so do the cuccos. I jump in, following the chaos, as we descend to our next battleground.

_I'm going to end it today, Shadow Link. I'm going to kill you._

Just a few seconds of darkness and we're already approaching a new world. This time, an ocean - a big one, at that. The cuccos desperately try to fly upwards but eventually get tired and fall into the ocean along with me and my shadowy clone. Once we land into the water, we swim upwards. Around us is a giant, blue sea, stretching across the horizon, and a volcanic island behind us. There's a small, peculiar red boat parked there.

Instantly, we begin swimming for the island. Shadow Link clawshots my foot to catch up with me, but I kick my shoe off to keep him away. I make it to shore first and thus hold the advantage and begin waiting to strike on the sandy beach. The giant volcano towers behind me as I feel my Triforce resonating for some reason; _this new world I'm in doesn't feel familiar at all,_ I think.

I begin shooting arrows at Shadow Link, who's desperately trying to get to the shore, and end up getting a couple shots in his arm. He blocks all of the others with his shield, but he slows down in the process. I hear footsteps from behind and turn around to see some kind of bird person standing in confusion. _Must be a native,_ I think. I turn back around to see Shadow Link about to punch me, and he succeeds, and I go flying backwards. Aching, I stand back up.

"LINK! WHAT HAPPENED?!" the bird person calls out. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE WITH MEDLI!"

"WHAT?" I shout in response. "I DON'T KNOW YOU!"

I barely dodge under Shadow Link's kick and then parry his sword attack, getting more and more exhausted as the fight continues. The bird-man keeps shouting, but I ignore him. Once he mentions something about "my sister" I conclude he's either mistaken me for someone else, or we've travelled a bit too far in time.

He points his hand on the ground in front of me; knowing he's about to open a portal, I instinctively jump back as the purplish-black hole forms below me. I reach my hand out at it for a moment, and it closes before I hit the ground.

_Did I just… close the portal? That Shadow Link created?_

_Questions for later._

He shoots a clawshot towards me suddenly, and I bash it away with my shield; he then jumps over me, opens a portal beneath both of us, and we fall into it. _That bastard! Why do we keep changing worlds?_

_Oh well._

I fall through the void for a moment, and then, I'm falling into a forest. Not Kokiri Forest, though. I descend along with Shadow Link into the densely wooded area and crash through the canopy and to the forest floor. When I rise to my feet I notice a distinct lack of my shadowy clone.

The trees tower above me; squirrels scurry past me by the second; a gloomy atmosphere surrounds me; and I can't see but a few feet in front of me due to the thick fog. I unsheathe my sword. My eyes continuously dart around, searching for a shadowy figure, as I slowly make my way through the forest. I'm getting strong Lost Woods vibes, except for the fact that I really _am_ lost. Not a good feeling.

I sense a dark, ominous presence from behind and immediately turn to see Shadow Link striking from above. _Shit_ , I think, as he lands a hit on my shield, and I'm sent stumbling backward. He then chucks _his_ shield at me. It zooms through the fog and strikes my forehead.

I then begin sprinting in the opposite direction. I have no sense of direction right now, and have no idea where Shadow Link is; I just blindly run. The fog starts to clear up after a few more minutes. I then find myself in a rather enclosed area of the forest, with thick bushes all around me, and some kind of structure a ways in front of me. I walk towards said structure and stand their in total confusion and awe.

_It's that legendary blade…_

An arrow is shot from behind the sword and it skims my ear. "Shit!" I yell out.

Shadow Link reveals himself by walking out of the bushes from behind the Master Sword, and he approaches it. His shadowy eyes gaze at it, eager to touch the sword.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" I scream.

" _But it won't mess up the timeline if I do, why not?"_ he telepathically tells me.

_What the hell is he talking about? Why is the Master Sword here? What the hell is going on?!_

He attempts to pull out the Blade of Evil's Bane from its pedestal, but to no avail. It won't budge for him. He keeps pulling, and in that time I charge forward and land a strike with my Flame Sword on his dark arm. He lets out a screech and hops backward.

"You fiend! You can't just do that!" I shout.

" _Once you're dead, I can do whatever I want."_

"Well, that ain't gonna happen, you hear me?"

We clash once more. Our battle continues in front of the Master Sword, now residing in some spookier version of the Lost Woods. After a bit, he opens a new portal, and we approach our new battleground: Hyrule Field. Except it's not _my_ Hyrule Field. We're either far in the future or far in the past, but that's all I know.

Out fight to the death doesn't stop. I ignore Hyrule Castle sitting off in the distance, the giant plateau behind me, Death Mountain a bit to the left, and even the robot monsters wandering about in front of me. Yeah. _Robot monsters._ In Hyrule Field. They're spider-like, but only have four legs, and have one eye.

I eventually land a nasty strike on Shadow Link's Leg, and he crashes to the ground in agony. There's no blood, but there's a giant wound where I struck him with my sword. He blindly clawshots behind himself and it latches onto one of the robot monsters. He goes flying towards it, and lands on its head; the monster promptly freaks out and shoots lasers everywhere until it sees _me._

_Oh, shit._

It shoots a laser beam from its eye at me, and I barely jump out of the beam's way. The monster crawls its way towards me as I sprint past it and hop over another laser beam. Shadow Link holds on for dear life atop the monster, trying not to fall off. I change that when I clawshot onto the monster and sway him off of it. It then targets _him_ instead of _me._

I clutch the top of the robot monster as it frantically pursues my shadowy clone. It fires beam after beam at him until eventually it stops for a moment. That's when I realize shadow-douchebag is chopping its legs off from below. I jump off of the monster and directly onto him; he then creates a portal beneath us, and, naturally, we go falling in.

_This isn't going to end anytime soon. Should I even be wasting my time trying to catch him and kill him? He evidently wants to kill me, but what do I gain from killing him? Yeah, another enemy would be crossed off my list but what I really need to focus on right now is that Vaati guy._

We're both exhausted, injured, and despite that ready to continue fighting. We land on top of a tall structure; _a wall, from Mikasa's universe._ I don't notice any titans around so I assume we're on top of one of the inner walls. He charges at me once more, but I, losing energy rapidly, fail to dodge. He slices my torso with his dark Flame Sword and it starts to bleed immediately. He jumps at me while I'm on the ground but I roll over before he lands; I then stand back up and stab his lower torso. He lets out a screech.

" _This ends here, Link."_

"I know."

Atop the 50-meter wall I fight Shadow Link, and we start to land more and more hits on each other than usual. _We're getting tired._ He clawshots my arm and its sharp edges pierce through my skin, and my blade slices through all of his arms, legs, and even through his torso at one point. He throws his shield at me again but I manage to bash it away; it goes flying off of the wall. I then have the upper hand as all he can do now is dodge and parry.

I charge forward and hit blow after blow upon Shadow Link's body. He doesn't dodge, nor does he fight back. I realize I'm winning, and don't hold back until I'm sure he's down for good. Once he's on his knees, he glares up at me, and tells me, " _Are you going to end it?"_

I respond by promptly slicing his head off.

It falls to the ground, then his entire body disintegrates into thin air. Out in front of me lies a piece of the Antitriforce. _Shadow Link's Antitriforce._

_Good riddance,_ I think, as I pick up the black triangle from the ground.

A portal appears in front of me, and a voice echoes through the wind:

" _Just what I expected from the fabled Hero of Time…"_

I walk through the portal and into the darkness. I reappear back to my friends, all anxiously waiting about. I then collapse onto the ground.

**. . .**

"He's bleeding out, he needs help!"

"What should we do?"

"Yarckel! That's the closest place that isn't destroyed!"

"Fine! Put him on the horse and _go!_ "

"Did he defeat the shadow guy?"

"I don't know and I don't care."

"He has the Antitriforce of Courage with him; that means he won."

"The hell's that?"

"A type of power originating from my homeland."

"Mikasa, which way is northwest?"

"I thought you knew, Armin!"

"I was too busy helping Sasha! Something's wrong with her!"

"SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH _LINK!_ "

I open my eyes after hearing many voices speak and argue. I see a night sky above me, and realize I'm on a horse. Zelda's in front of me. I'm in a great deal of pain, and can't move half of my limbs.

_My adrenaline rush is over, I guess. Heh, I killed the damn guy. Shadow Link…_

"Link, are you awake?" Zelda asks.

"Y-yes," I sputter out.

"Don't die on me, okay? We're getting you help."

"O-okay…"

"It's just like when you fought Ganon…" she says.

My aching body is carried through the vast fields of this universe and to District Yarckel. I continually pass out and reawaken to arguments and yelling.

"Sasha! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Eren shouts. "Why are you crying?"

"Don't yell at her like that, Eren!" Armin yells in return. _Armin never yells._ "Something weird is happening with her, and she needs help just like Link does!"

"She's not in agonizing pain like Link is, though, so she can wait!" Mikasa tells Armin.

"Guys, stop arguing! _Two_ lives are at stake here! We need to be level-headed," Alex suggests.

"I actually agree with him," Jean says. "If we want to save Link and Sasha then we can't be screaming at each other."

"Coming from the douchebag who _lives_ to argue with people," Eren retorts.

_What's wrong with Sasha?_ I think. I open my eyes and turn my head to see her on Eren's horse. Her eyes are red and her body is limp. Her mouth is moving, almost as if she's whispering something, but I can't quite make it out.

And as we ride to District Yarckel currently in a dire situation, I start to wonder if we'll actually make it in time, as well about Vaati's whereabouts. I can't stand let alone fight, so crossing paths with that monster would be the death of all of us.


	30. Return to District Yarckel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family Feud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first four chapters have been rewritten, my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is almost completely gone, and my dreaded ACT is finally out of the way. I will work on my fics as much as humanly possible throughout the summer. As for this chapter, it's a slower one, but you know how it goes - it's the calm before the storm.

_**Sasha's Point of View** _

"SASHA!"

"SASHA, WHAT'S WRONG?!"

"Guys, her eyes are red, what the hell is going on?"

_Ow. Hurts…_

"Sasha, wake up!"

_It's so loud…_

_The voice in my head… It's gone… But it still feels like it's there… Agh. This sucks._

Everything is… Tinted red, for some reason. I can barely make out Armin's figure, shouting at me from above…

_That king guy… He did this. He's been talking to me… I don't like him…_

_He'd tell me he's giving me these "sorceress powers" like Annie had… I don't want that…_

_Ever since that night when Fraternity Rose took Alex… He's been in my head. Trying to tell me to join him… He'd even say that it doesn't matter what I think because I'll end up joining him anyway…_

_I'm pretty sure it's Vaati, the one Link was talking about…_

"Dear Hylia, please heal Link and do not allow him to die… Please, please, Hylia, I pray to you and the goddesses that the Hero will be okay…"

"Who the hell's Hylia?"

"Shut up, Jean! Focus on getting to Yarckel!"

"So loud…" I sputter out.

Armin turns back to me with a worried look… My vision starts becoming blurrier, though, until I can't see anything but blackness.

Then, _he_ returns.

"Have you decided?" he asks.

_Go away…_

"Don't be like that. Your friends… They won't be able to save you."

"I'm not talking about tonight, either… They will lead you into death so quickly you won't have time to regret joining them. Just as what happened to your other friend…"

_Connie…_

"Yes, Connie was his name."

_You're the one that caused his death, though. You sent Annie to kill us…_

"False. I sent her to kill _Link_ \- no, I take that back. I sent her to _test out_ Link. Nevertheless, her other actions are hers and hers alone."

_Why do you want me…?_

"Because you have potential. With the same powers Annie had, you could achieve great things. Trust me…"

"...I'm not a villain."

_**Eren's Point of View** _

"Welcome to District Yarckel," says Alex, as we pass under the overarching gate, leading into the district.

_Alex… The other titan shifter. Him and I are the only one of those considered good…_

_We can eliminate the others. Those FR people, Reiner and Bertholdt, and anyone who stands in the way of humanity… We'll defeat them, at all costs._

"We're in the district. What now?" I ask.

Mikasa looks to me with worry on her face.

"Find some medical attention."

"Where? We don't have _any_ money!"

"I'm not sure, Eren, we'll have to look."

"What the hell? So we're just gonna ride around and hope we find something? No! We need a _plan,_ Mikasa."

"Shut your mouth, Eren, we'll figure it out," Jean says.

"Of course you're on _her_ side, douchebag. Armin, what's the plan?"

Armin's looking down at Sasha from the horse behind her; Jean's riding the horse Sasha's lying on. _He's not even paying attention._

"Goddammit Armin, listen!"

"W-what?" he suddenly replies, perking his head up.

"What is the plan?"

"We have no money, so I guess we'll need to find Fraternity Rose."

"And do what? Beg?"

Mikasa then says, "We raid."

"What?!"

"Eren, shut up and focus on riding your horse. You're not the rational thinker here."

"Neither is Mikasa," I say under my breath.

Mikasa doesn't reply; instead, she keeps looking back at Link, whilst riding her horse behind mine. I sigh, then look forwards, trying to remember where that god forsaken fortress is at.

 _This shit is getting old,_ I think.

_Whatever. Screw them, I guess. I'll have to be the responsible one this time._

The people around us seem to be surprised and frightened by me and my friends, but I couldn't care less. My eyes dart to every corner and every building, searching for that base… _It's wooden, and looks very normal; no one but us would be able to tell it's a secret fortress… I only saw it myself once. Mikasa and Link were actually inside of it…_

Then, Mikasa suddenly turns right, heading down a different street. I look to the building at the end of that street and see the FR base. _Mikasa knew where it was the entire time._ The rest of us turn our horses around and rush towards the base, and we hop off of our horses and bash down the door.

The surrounding citizens of Ehrmich start freaking out, and frantically dash out of the area. Soldiers dressed in blue come sprinting through the entrance of their base. A brawl erupts in mere seconds.

I look to Alex.

"Don't fight right now. If the situation gets bad, go titan, okay?"

He nods, and I rush into the action and start throwing punches at the FRs; I don't have the ODM gear I was given by what's-her-name in Connie's old village, so that's the only thing I can do for the moment.

After the back of a gun is bashed against my head, and I go flying back, I suddenly hear Mikasa say, "Eren, stay back for now, okay?"

_What the hell?_

I get back to my feet, but by the time I'm back to the action the FRs have been taken care of, and we head inside the base. A horse is lead through the doorway, and Link and Sasha are placed on that horse; once we're all inside we begin running down the halls…

The only thing I can think about, though, is why the hell Mikasa's acting like I'm a nuisance…

_Ever since Annie died, after I threw her off of the top of the wall, Mikasa's been… different. Like she doesn't care about me that much anymore._

_I know… I know I always thought she was annoying for being clingy, but now that she's not… It feels wrong. It feels weird._

_Goddammit, this is exactly the opposite of what I wanted._

Sasha has her bow, Jean has a rifle, and Armin has a pistol; the latter two found their weapons lying on the ground inside the base, which, surprisingly, is well-built. The floors are gray, the sides are made of brick and stone, and there are seemingly a ton of floors beneath us… And as we run further and further through the fortress, more and more guards and soldiers come at us. They're usually overpowered because they come in small bunches rather than all at once.

Armin hasn't used his pistol, though, and Jean rarely uses his rifle. Sasha tries to only shoot people in the legs. The only person I see with no restraint is Mikasa. It's like she just doesn't care who dies, as long as her goal is fulfilled…

_Stop thinking about her, dammit!_

Eventually, we find a room that seems like a medical center, and there's a person dressed in white. A few beds sit in the room, and medical supplies are scattered about. The man, who has glasses, and gray hair, looks to us in surprise, and backs away.

"You," Mikasa says. "Take care of these two."

"W-what? Who are you people…?"

" _Do it. Now._ "

"Are you those new recruits? You _do_ know we're moving out and heading to Zingi for the new base there, right?"

"They're dying! Just hurry up and treat them!"

"Fine, fine, calm down," he says, grabbing gloves and preparing the beds. "What happened to them?"

"He got in a fight and she's having seizures," Armin tells him.

"I see. Where are your uniforms? You didn't get them yet?"

"No," Armin says. "Probably since we're moving to Zingi, the uniforms are on their way there…"

_Armin knows what he's doing… He's quick to read a situation and make lies up on the spot. He's already figured out the doctor thinks we're working for Fraternity Rose._

"Makes sense."

The doctor, after Sasha and Link are placed on two of the beds, immediately starts treating them; Link is given bandages all over his body and Sasha is given a sedative, which calms her down.

I look to Mikasa.

_I need to… Take her off my mind. I need to ignore her. She's finally not constantly telling me what to do and babying me all the time… I have to take advantage of this. Why am I so concerned about it? It's what I've always wanted, and yet…_

_No. I must take her off my mind. I must focus on the task at hand, help Link defeat one of his past enemies, and eventually focus on my own goal… Freeing humanity._

_Yes… That, and exterminating every last titan on this wretched earth are my goals…_

_Link helped us defeat Annie, though, so it's only fair I help him defeat what's-his-name… Vaati, I'm pretty sure it was._

_Just like Annie, he seems to have these powers, even stranger than titan powers, and someone like Link or his friend Zelda are the only people that can truly defeat him._

_Damn, I feel unimportant now… Whatever. Doesn't matter._

"Eren, are you listening?" Armin asks.

"W-what?"

"We're going. Come on, we need some rest, right? Maybe we'll get something to eat."

"I agree with Armin," Mikasa says. "We need rest. We were up all night trying to ride to this district."

"I know that," I bluntly say before exiting the room.

**. . .**

Link's friend Zelda is the one to stay behind and look after Link and Sasha. We were able to exit the fortress with no problems, as the soldiers were elsewhere, apparently. It's a good thing they decided not to mess with us any longer, but still… _they're enemies of humanity, and must be taken down._

As I lie down on the top bunk of a bunk bed, I think.

_What are their goals? Why is everything about them so mysterious? Even after gaining so much information about them we seem to know so little. Why do they have two titan shifters on their side? How did they give Alex his powers?_

_They know some of the secrets of this world, I presume… And they're not telling anybody. Instead, they do their own thing, and sometimes target a certain person, like Sasha._

_They're enemies of humanity… They get in the way of pursuing freedom._

"Eren," a voice calls out from below. I perk my head from the top of the bunk bed and see Alex.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"You down for some training?"

A grin appears on my face. "Hell yeah."

I hop off of the bed.

"Where, though?"

"Probably to the south of this district, we'll have to exit through the western route, though."

I think for a moment; _There's nothing else important going on right now, so… Why not?_

"Let's go," I calmly say.

We exit the room, and, after walking down endless hallways, eventually reach the exit. The ever-busy District Yarckel lies ahead of us. I step forward, and Alex follows suit; after traversing the district, we begin to near the exit. Seeing all of the people around me, with not a care in a world, reminds me of something, though…

It's always been that way… Everyone around me acting as if nothing's wrong with the world. Even when districts are being destroyed every other week…

_It reminds me of District Utopia._

_Fuck. Why did I have to get reminded of that? No, no, no…_

_No._

_Krista… I remember walking around with her… I'd comment on the fact that everyone around us didn't seem to know about the evil taking place in the shadows, all around them…_

_No. Stop getting distracted._

"We probably should've brought Link's clawshots," Alex suggests, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nod before I even process what he said.

Once we reach the wall's exit, and pass under the overarching gate, we turn left as we start walking in the tall grass. Out in front of us are endless fields… Perfect for titan training.

We travel far. Not too far where we can't see Yarckel, but far enough to not draw attention when we transform. Behind us, while we can't see it, is Merchant's Heaven…

_The place where Mikasa apparently almost gave up her life searching for me…_

_Ah... I remember being told that back at Scout HQ._

_So… It wasn't in Ehrmich when she began to be distant from me…_

_It was sometime between her time in Merchant's Heaven and when we met back up in Utopia._

_I wonder…_

"So, Alex. Are you going to be able to transform today?"

I take a seat on the grass and look to the boy. He sits down as well and thinks.

"I was able to in Ragako, but only after trying for thirty minutes straight. I just have to be injured in some way, right?"

"That, and you need a specific goal in mind."

"Should I try it now?"

"Go ahead," I say. "And if it doesn't work, there's no need to bite again."

The blond boy stands up; he looks to his hand and hesitantly bites down into it. Blood instantly begins spewing out.

Nothing happens.

"Ow! Ow! Agh! It hurts!" he yells.

"Keep trying, Alex. Once it 'clicks,' you'll be able to do this on demand."

"I have to have a goal in mind, right?"

"Yep."

"What's my goal?"

"Hmmm… _To fight me,_ " I say, smirking.

I bite down onto my hand and immediately transform. My fifteen-meter tall titan forms on the grass, and looks down at Alex. _The feeling of being so big and mighty never gets old…_

I hold my fist up to try to scare Alex into transforming, and it works. Lightning strikes down, and suddenly his tall titan form appears in front of me; It's even taller than me, and has blond hair about as shaggy as mine.

I back up to see if he's in control. Once I wave, he waves back, and it's confirmed. I then hold up my fists.

He charges for my torso, but I grab ahold of his titan neck and lock him in a guillotine. He manages to escape, though, after scratching my eyes out with his long fingers.

He doesn't give me time for my eyes to heal, though, and instead comes for me and knocks me over once again.

_He's got heart, that kid…_

_It's a shame he was born into such an unfortunate world._

And we continue fighting, practicing Titan Martial Arts, and eventually we return to our human forms and I begin teaching him actual moves that I know. He learns fast; I don't hold back, though, because when I learned how to fight it was the same way.

For the entire time, though, I'm reminded of _her…_

_The person who taught me how to fight…_

I'm not like her, though. I'm not evil. I'm not gonna deceive anybody or fight against humanity. I'll be a good mentor, and train Alex to fight alongside me as we free humanity from the confines of the walls…

**. . .**

I'm back in the district. I feel agitated again. It's too quiet. Something feels wrong.

Alex went back to the room we rented near the middle of Yarckel, so I'm alone. I guess that's good, for now, at least.

After pacing around the district for a while, I eventually spot someone I know.

_Mikasa._

She's looking upwards, at a roof, it seems. I look to that roof and see another person standing there. She looks familiar.

_It's that Arrowheart girl, Alex's aunt._

_So she's in Yarckel, huh…_

"Mikasa, I know you want to kill me, but I am _not_ in the mood for anything right now."

"I couldn't care less!" she shouts in return. "Come down here so I can slice you open!"

She's holding up her ODM gear swords, ready to attack. The other girl doesn't have gear, nor does she have her usual bow. Jessica (I think that's her name) doesn't seem hostile at all, either… She's not willing to even _try_ and attack.

They're standing in some type of food plaza, as round tables with many people eating surround the area.

"Can you let me explain? Please?" she pleads from the rooftop. Some people are looking up at her in confusion, as well as the aggressive Mikasa.

"NO!" Mikasa angrily replies.

_Damn… And she calls me overaggressive. She's not even giving her a chance to explain. What's her problem?_

_Well, Fraternity Rose is, indeed, against humanity… But it seems as if she's changed her mind about it, or something… Her attitude towards us has changed._

_Maybe she had a realization about her wrongdoings._

"Mikasa!" I yell as I approach her. "Can't you at least give her a _chance_?"

"Stay out of this, Eren."

_That's exactly what I expected she'd reply. Just a generic, demeaning, "stay out of this."_

"Oh, screw you!" I say. "You there, Arrowheart, you can _come down_ and explain yourself."

"Thank God," she says, hopping down. Mikasa tries to charge forward but I pull back on her before she reaches the girl.

" _Stop it, Mikasa,_ " I say, and she promptly stops resisting.

Jessica approaches me with caution. She doesn't have any hostile look in her eyes, and her defensiveness is more of a wariness of whether or not we'll attack her.

"You have five minutes to convince me not to kill you," Mikasa bluntly says. "And if you harm _him,_ or any of my other friends, I'll do _more_ than just kill you."

"Okay, okay! Fair enough. Now, let's all sit down, alright? Hear me out on this."

_Heh. She did the protectiveness thing again._

"I have no will to fight you all right now. To put everything shortly… Everything I've ever believed was recently proven wrong."

_I was right._

"How so?" Mikasa asks.

"MIKASA!" a voice shouts from behind. I turn my head to see Armin, running toward the table.

"There you are! I couldn't find you. What are you doi-"

He sees Jessica.

"Um… What's going on?"

"Sit down and listen," I say. He nods, and sits down.

"Alright, I'll continue. I ain't repeating shit though, so listen the first time."

"Fraternity Rose… Isn't what I thought it was. I grew up into that guild, and was taught early on that they're trying to do something good for the world… But I was never told exactly what that was. When I would ask Lex or Maxus, they'd either change the subject or say only the higher-ups could know. It's always frustrated the hell out of me. Well, I was promoted after the recent fiasco, and when I asked, Maxus finally told me."

"...Fraternity Rose is from outside the walls, and our purpose is to destroy the walls from the inside."

_That's what I thought. They're enemies of mankind._

"Then, he said that it's no longer our prime goal, and that he's working to figure out our next move. He said our only goal now is to expand our influence, and gain power, so 'when the walls turn into hell we'll be able to fend for ourselves.'"

"What does he mean by that?" Armin asks.

"I asked him. His response didn't help a damn thing, at all. He said, 'When the people who sent us realize we're not doing our job, they'll come do it themselves, and destroy us as well.'"

"Sent you? Sent you from where?"

"From outside the walls, apparently. Before he left to continue constructing our new base in Zingi, he said, 'They're called Marleyans. They want to eradicate Paradise, the island we're on now, and sent us to do the job.'"

_Holy shit._

_HOLY SHIT._

_Marleyans. Paradise. Outside the walls. We're on an island._

"That's quite the information…" Armin says. "This is news! We're on an island called Paradise, and a group of people called the Marleyans are trying to destroy us! We need to let the government know!"

"NO!" Jessica says. "Not the government."

"...why?" Armin asks.

"The government's a mess right now. Especially considering Maxus killed that bastard child, Historia, without realizing who she was…"

"So, Fraternity Rose aren't bad anymore?" I ask. "You said their goal now was to merely survive when these 'Marleyans' attack."

"Well, we technically helped the Armored, Colossal, and Female titans when they came here… We're supposed to cooperate with the Warriors, see, but now that they've left for now, that's changed."

"Warriors?"

"The bad titan shifters."

"Alright… Then yes or no?"

"We're on our own side, I guess."

_Just like Ymir… We can't entirely trust them._

_Shit. I was hoping they'd be allies with us._

"I also… learned… of the unfortunate fate of my brother, and nephew…"

"...along with every other titan shifter."

We all continue listening as Jessica explains something quite interesting.

"First off, know that we study something called Titan Science. We're able to manipulate shifter spinal fluid to create mindless titans and such, as well as other things. There are only supposed to be nine types of titan shifters at once, but we… worked our way around that. We 'exploited the serum.' We were able to manipulate the serum to create more titan shifters."

"...but it came with a price. I learned that once a titan shifter receives their power, they have thirteen years to live. For a 'serum exploiter' like Alex… It's only seven."

Mikasa looks to me. A look of worry appears on her face. She then turns her head back to Jessica.

"No. That's not true. That's bullshit!"

_...what? A time limit for shifters like me? And Ymir? Reiner? Bertholdt?_

_And Alex has even less time to live…_

"So, that means my leader, my brother, and my nephew have little time to live. Alex has the full seven years, Maxus has two at most, and my brother has around four."

_When did I get my titan powers? Have I always had them?_

_...how much time do I have to live?_

"The titans… Did these Marleyans create them? Or were they always there?" I ask, standing up.

"I'm not sure… I know the titan shifters came before the titans, and that mindless titans are created from titan shifter spinal fluid. So, that's definitely possible."

"If they did," I say, "I'll kill the person responsible."

_Seems as if a human was the villain all along._

_Whoever it is, he'll have a painful death._

_Now if I could just know how Annie and the others were sent here as kids to destroy us…_

"So… If simply surviving was your group's goal all along, why were we targeted?" Mikasa questions.

"I'd have to assume because you were getting in our way. Sasha was the first, as Connie overheard an important piece of info, and we took him in…"

"I remember," Armin says. "You borderline tortured us."

"I'm… Sorry. I really am. I always believed what I was doing was right. I simply followed orders. And I heard you, Mikasa, were targeted in Merchant's Heaven. You were in a feud with the Armored and we helped him so he was convinced we were still on his side. I guess you guys were all in the wrong place at the wrong time. We've done some stuff we can't take back, and going into the future we'll probably continue doing that to survive the coming war."

"There comes a time when one must abandon his humanity in order to save others," Armin says, deep in thought. "Come on, guys, let's get back to our place, and hope we don't cross paths with these people again."

I nod.

_What an interesting conversation..._

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

_...the way my mind works is that there's always one central problem or person I'm focused on. Once whatever thought comes about in my head, it won't go away until it's done for. And right now, I have no looming problems. I tied a loose end with Eren back in Ehrmich about our relationship, and I've been feeling more… independent of him. He's no longer the only one on my thoughts, and no longer who I think of when I wake up. When I first noticed this, I felt a bit guilty, but now, I'm indifferent, like I am towards a lot of things._

_My whole life was centered around him from the moment he came into my life on that dark, horrible day…_

I remember having that thought one night in the Scout HQ.

After Jessica told us why she wasn't trying to kill us anymore, Armin, Eren, and me returned to the room we're staying in, near the FR base. He's been seeming very angry with me recently, but in a different way. Not for trying to protect him; the opposite, in fact.

...more importantly, I'm not feeling as empty as I was anymore. I don't know what it is, but for the first time after latching off of Eren, I feel like I have a purpose again.

Maybe it's because I'm truly free. I told myself I felt free when I had one central thought to obsess over, and since I had nothing to think about all the time I felt empty. Now… That feeling's gone.

 _Perhaps I was wrong,_ I think. _Or perhaps I already have a new central thought, and I don't even know what it is yet._

My thoughts are interrupted when someone opens the door to the room I'm in. It's Zelda, Link's friend from his world.

"Oh… You're Mikasa, right?" she asks.

I look up at her from my bed. She's got long, blonde hair, blue eyes, and is about as tall as Link. Her ears are pointed like Link's, as well.

"Yes," I reply.

She takes a seat on the bunk bed from across the room.

"Ah… Well, I presume it's good we're all getting rest again, I had thought after Link's shadow clone arrived there would be nonstop battles."

"...indeed…"

Her accent is different from what I've ever heard. Almost as if she's… _Royalty._

"I never mentioned this, but thank you, Mikasa, for helping to look after Link…"

I don't respond, but instead nod my head in acknowledgement.

"I worry for him… He's too eager to jump into the action with no regard for himself. I hadn't seen him for a while after he left…"

"How long had he been gone?"

"A few months - which is odd, because he said he only spent three days in some other world and only a few weeks here. I assume it's because time flows differently with each universe… In any case, I'm at least happy to see him again… But, again, thank you for looking after him before I got here…"

"It's nothing, really… He really helped us, though… We had an enemy, one only someone like him could defeat… We were powerless, and then there he was… I was extremely skeptical at first."

"Hopefully," Zelda starts talking again, "we'll be able to defeat the new enemy or lure him back to our homeland before too much death occurs here. And Vaati has no business being here if we're not here."

"You two will just leave after defeating this 'Vaati,' and never return?"

"That's what I suggested to Link. I would rather not attract any more beasts to a world like this and harm others. As for Link, though, he's unpredictable."

_Stop worrying out that… Especially if it's out of your control._

_**. . .** _

"Mikasa… We need to do something. Vital information has just been given to us. We _have_ to let Commander Erwin know, as well as the rest of Scouts. Come on!" Eren pleads.

"No, Eren, we are staying here for now."

I'm still lying on the same bed as before. Nobody else is in the room but Eren. Zelda went back to looking after Link and Sasha, and Jean, Peter, Alex, and Armin are out finding supplies and food.

"What? No! You don't get it! This is more important than _anything_ right now!"

"Going to the Scout HQ after this is what we'll most likely do, but we are not leaving right now. We just arrived here. Get some rest, Eren."

"Don't 'get some rest' me! Actually talk to me, dammit! It's like I don't even exist anymore to you!"

_...Oh._

"I don't understand," I say in confusion.

"Listen to me for once, okay?"

I nod my head.

"This is _incredibly important_ information that needs to be spread immediately. What if these 'Marleyans' decide to attack today? Or tomorrow? Or next week? We need to be _prepared,_ Mikasa. Link and Sasha can stay here. But they have a _reason._ We are completely fine, so instead of moping around this district, why not go do humanity a favor?"

I look Eren in the eyes, and bluntly say, "No."

"If you're so concerned," I continue, "send them a letter."

"GOD DAMMIT, MIKASA! You just don't get it, do you? What is wrong with you?"

"Eren, I am not in the mood to argue."

"I'm not in the mood to argue either, but you know what? It's what I _have_ to do, in order to deal with _you._ Screw you, Mikasa, I'm leaving."

"Eren. Don't leave, especially by yourself."

"I'll do what I _goddamn_ want," he replies, about to open the door.

"Eren! Listen! _Do not leave_ , okay? I understand your reasoning but it's simply too dangerous to start travelling again, and we're all exhausted. Splitting up is probably the worst thing we can do right now."

"Are you deaf? I said I'll do what I want."

I stand up and push Eren away from the door. He immediately resists and keeps trying to exit. He isn't stronger than me, though, so I am able to keep him out.

" _Do not touch me,_ " he says. He backs away and gives me a nasty glare.

"Eren… what's happened to you…?" I ask.

"No, Mikasa, you're wrong. What's happened to _you_?"

_Me? What does he mean? Does he know I've changed? He isn't the type to notice small stuff like that._

"Are you going to let me out?" he asks.

"No," I sternly stay as I block the doorway.

"...then so be it," he says.

Eren charges forward in attempts to get through the door. I grab him, but he keeps moving, and we both fall over. He tries to get up, but I grab his leg and he falls down again. He starts yelling at me to let go. After crawling for a few seconds he kicks my hands off of his leg and stands back up.

Looking down at me in both sadness and anger, he tells me, "I.. wish… I didn't save you that day."

And he walks off, leaving the building. I don't get back up.

_Eren… Why would he… Say something like that?_

_He really has changed…_

Later, I go to check on Link to see both Armin and Zelda there, as well as the doctor. Armin's holding a loaf of bread.

"I must leave soon, as will you all, if you're moving to the Zingi base. These two can stay here for now, as I will leave some medical supplies."

"Thank you, doctor," Armin says, looking down at Sasha with worry.

Zelda is looking down at Link. She must be worried, too. His heavily-injured, unconscious body is in that bed. She stares down at him, wondering when he'll wake up, and when he does, she'll be right there to greet him…

Armin's sitting by Sasha's bed, waiting for her to possibly be stabilized, as well. Her recent seizures have scared Armin half to death. But when she finally wakes up, Armin will be right there, with food and all, to make sure Sasha isn't alone for one second…

_And Eren is off, exiting the district, after basically telling me I should've never entered his life._

_What a bittersweet feeling I'm having here._

With not much else to do, I stay in that same room, waiting. My mind is blank. I feel… empty again. I feel guilty. I feel more like a nuisance than I ever have. I feel unwanted.

" _I.. wish… I didn't save you that day."_

Those words continuously echo through my mind.

_Why… Why did he say those horrible words…?_

_So I really have only been a bother to him._

_Should I feel guilty for it? Should I drown myself in self-pity? Or are those two one and the same?_

_If only I could find a new purpose in life..._

I notice Link opening his eyes and a feeling of joy shoots through my body. For some reason… I expect him to immediately look to me. He doesn't.

He looks around for a second, and then sees Zelda, standing over him. He smiles, and utters something I can't hear. The two are genuinely happy…

Not long later, Sasha wakes up. She eats the bread Armin brought almost instantly, and her joyful attitude returns as well. She's still shaken by her seizures and whatever was going on in her head, but… She's visibly happy to wake up and see somebody who cares about her right beside her.

My feelings are put to the side when I notice something strange happening with Sasha. Her eyes are tinted red. A red substance is floating around her fingers. It reminds me of something… Something I thought I'd never see again.

_Annie's powers._

I stand up.

"Sasha, is that… Are those the powers Annie had?"

She looks to me in surprise, and down at her fingers to see what I'm talking about.

"Oh… I guess they are."

The bread lying on the other side of the bed glows red, and hovers through the air, and to Sasha's hand. She doesn't realize what she just did until she takes a bite.

"It's the sorceress powers," Zelda says as she approaches Sasha.

"This is what's been going on with her. Vaati's… Trying to recruit her, just like this 'Annie.'"

"...can you help me?" Sasha asks.

Zelda thinks for a moment. "I can try. I have some knowledge of the powers. Worry not, you can use the powers to get him out of your head."

"Thank God…"

_Sasha has powers now._

_...I guess she's going to be very strong._

_With what Annie could do… and the fact that she wasn't even close to her full potential…_

_We have a much better chance against Vaati._

Confidence is restored in me. I realize that everything's going to be fine. With that, I go ahead and walk outside to go after Eren. _I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him not just about Sasha, but about everything. I'm going to ask him what made him say those words, and let him know that I still…_

_...think of him in the way I did years ago._

_I'm going to settle this before it gets any more out of hand._

By the time I find him, though, it's already too late.

* * *

_Ah, good… She's learned to use her powers now._

_And the other girl I was thinking about is now on her way to him… The one I'm very interested in._

_Ganondorf is in Termina. He has no triforce, but is still very strong. If I could send Eren over there, while I train the other two girls… We would demolish those two fuckers, Link and Zelda._

_I'll retrieve the Triforce pieces and end this, once and for all._

_I'll save Hyrule, by ending the cycle. I will kill Link, the Hero of Time._

_Right now is the perfect time, too… I'll strike immediately._

_Just as they think everything is fine…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another setup chapter. We're still in act 1, so no big events have really happened yet. This chapter is still important, though, so if you just skimmed over it GO READ IT PROPERLY. Or do whatever you want. Thanks for reading!
> 
> I really wanted an Eren-centric chapter and thought this was the perfect time for it - a "calm before the storm" chapter as I like to call it.


	31. Blitz

" _It's over now… You're gonna be okay…"_

" _You're Mikasa, right? I'm Eren… Doctor Jaeger's son. You've met him, right?"_

" _He came to your house for an examination, and I was tagging along. That's when… I saw this happening."_

" _But… It's okay now. I'm here. Nobody else is going to hurt you."_

" _Mikasa," his dad says, later that evening. "Do you remember me? I've seen you plenty of times when you were younger."_

" _Doctor Jaeger… I… have to get home. Where… do I go... from here…? I'm cold…"_

" _I have nowhere left to go…"_

_And then, the boy walks over to me and begins taking off his scarf. He wraps it around me without hesitation._

_He says, "Here, you can have this. Should be warm enough now, right?"_

_I touch the scarf with my hand._

" _It's warm."_

" _Mikasa… You've been through too much… How about you come live with us? What you need right now is rest…" Doctor Jaeger tells me._

_I don't move. Eren starts tugging on my sleeve, saying, "Come on, it's time to go home."_

" _Our home."_

_**Mikasa's Point of View** _

I spot him aimlessly walking in the field west of Yarckel. He has no horse. And when he sees me approaching him on _my_ horse, he stops.

I climb off.

"Eren. We need to talk," I say.

He's looking directly away from me, as if I'm not even here.

"About what?"

"You know."

He turns around and stares at me with his conflicted face. He sees my expression; one of confusion, regret, and sadness.

"No, I don't, because there's nothing to talk about. Leave."

"You know well enough that's the last thing I'm going to do, Eren."

The sky is becoming darker by the second. The clouds become thicker, and block out the sun even more. The grass is wet, and it's foggy. Eren obviously doesn't care. He doesn't even know where he's going. Food, water, shelter, directions… These things haven't even crossed his mind.

"Where is your horse?" I ask.

"It threw me off and left."

"And you're not coming back to Yarckel to get another?"

"No," he bluntly answers.

"Why?"

"I don't want to."

His short answers only add to the awkward silence overwhelming me.

I think for a moment. _I wonder about him… What he's thinking._

"Where... " I begin.

"Where did I go wrong?"

He looks down to the ground, and doesn't answer. But I look to him in desperation.

"Tell me, Eren. What horrible thing have I done to you to cause all of this?"

Still, no response.

"TELL ME!" I shout. "Why are you doing this? Why are you acting like everything I say and do is a problem for you? Do you hate me _that much?_ "

A tear rolls down my cheek.

"Ever since we were kids… Have I only been a nuisance to you?"

"Look, Eren, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty. I just want answers. I want to know… I want to know what I did wrong. Was it simply being around you, or was it something I did more recently?"

"Have I been a nuisance from the first day we met?" I ask, trembling.

"I… don't know," he finally replies.

"MAKE UP YOUR GODDAMN MIND!" I scream. "IF YOU'RE GONNA HATE ME, JUST SAY IT!"

"SHUT UP!" he shouts in return. "You shut your mouth…"

_I wonder what he's thinking right now…_

_He's obviously conflicted. He must feel some type of regret, but he doesn't want to show it._

_However… Ever since we were children, he's always acted like I was a problem. Everything I did to help him… He didn't want._

_I remember always tagging along with him when he would go somewhere with Armin. At first, of course, he was okay with it, because he felt pity for me. As time went on, though, and I began to express my feelings again, he was always annoyed by me. When he would be harassed by street thugs, and I would come to help, he'd act as if I was an embarrassment._

_He only ever learned to tolerate me… Never to enjoy my presence. Never to thank me for anything._

_Despite that, I continued to stand by his side, through thick and thin…_

"I remember when you'd go run off with Armin… I followed you, of course. I looked up to you. I always felt… safe when I was near you. It got to the point where it felt _wrong_ when we were apart. So anytime you went somewhere I would ask to tag along. Back then… did you ever _want_ me to come along? Or did you only ever tolerate me?"

"Stop…" he says under his breath.

"It's a simple question, Eren."

"STOP! I told you to _leave._ "

"You have no horse, no food, no water, and no map. What do you think you're going to do?"

"It's none of your concern. Leave."

I sigh.

"...Eren… Please. Please stop this. I want you… to stop doing this. Just get on the horse and let's ride back to Yarckel, alright? We can head to the Scout HQ in the morning if you want."

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't want to be around you."

"What is it you think I'm going to do to you? Why are you acting like simply being near me is so horrible? _What is wrong with me?_ "

More tears start flowing out of my eyes and down my face.

"Eren… Eren… What is wrong with me? Please, will you tell me, _what is wrong with me?_ Why am I such a horrible person?"

"LEAVE!" he screams.

"NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME, DAMMIT!"

"FINE! I'LL FUCKING TELL YOU. I... I HATE YOU! I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU! I HATE THE WAY YOU TALK TO ME… I HATE THE WAY YOU ALWAYS PATRONIZE ME.. I HATE THE DEMEANING WORDS YOU SAY TO ME... I HATE HOW YOU LOOK! I HATE YOUR HAIR! I HATE YOUR EYES! I HATE THAT STUPID SCARF! ...and… I… I HATE YOU! Now… _Leave._ "

I'm bawling my eyes out… I cannot bear it any longer.

I unwrap the scarf around my neck and begin walking towards Eren. I throw it on his head and walk back to my horse.

"You can have it back," I say, trembling.

I hop on my horse and shoot Eren a glare. He returns the favor as he throws the red scarf off to the side as it starts to rain.

Just as I'm about to leave, I hear something.

"That was quite the conversation, I _must_ say. Ha! I waited until it was done because I was so interested. It's quite tragic, really."

It's a male voice, though fairly high-pitched… He has the same accent as Zelda.

_It's him._

His figure appears from the dense fog surrounding Eren and me.

I see him: his purple garb, long, light purple hair, and distinct, red shoes…

He gives us a smirk.

"So… Let's get started, shall we?"

_**Link's Point of View** _

"So, how'd it go?"

"Well, Armin, probably in the worst way possible."

"What do you mean?"

"They wouldn't even let me _in!_ "

"What? How? They should at least have let you send the letter, right, Peter?"

"Nope! They screwed me over. The bastards at the gate claimed that the 'Scouts are currently being investigated.' The flying fuck does _that_ mean?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good… That's not the biggest problem, though."

"What, exactly, _is_ going on again? Other than the flying purple dude chasing us?"

"As you can see, Sasha and Link are just now healing… Link's especially in a bad condition, and Sasha's state is virtually unknown. Plus, Eren and Mikasa are outside the district to settle something… I'm just having a bad feeling right now."

"'Settle something'?"

"Some argument they're having, I presume. It shouldn't take that long."

My eyes open, and I fully awaken.

I see Zelda sitting to the side of me. She's asleep. I see Sasha on the bed next to me. She's asleep, too. I then see Armin and Peter talking near Sasha's bed.

I can't help but smile.

My body's still aching from my fight with Shadow Link. Nice. _Battle scars._ I can feel that Antitriforce, too. The one Shadow Link dropped. _The Antitriforce of Courage, I think._

_I wonder if that means it's mine now?_

"Link…" I hear a voice say. I turn my head to the side to see her, just now waking up.

I notice her vibrant blue eyes… I also notice her new clothes - just a regular shirt with pants, nothing special. Yet, I find it charming.

She looks like a… _regular girl._

"Hey," I say.

She half-smiles. "Hey."

"The hell do you mean by that? They're, like, brother and sister, right? Don't siblings argue all the time?" Peter continually questions in the background.

"One, I mean exactly what I said - Eren said something that hurt Mikasa's feelings and left, and now Mikasa's going after him. Two, yes and no, it's complicated. Three, I don't know."

"Well, don't we need to, like, stick together and shit? What if the flying purple guy comes back?"

"I… don't know, Peter. I guess we'll find out."

"No, I know. We'd be royally _fucked_ if he came back."

Zelda chuckles. Peter turns to her.

"It's not funny, elf-girl, we'd be in deep shit if he suddenly decided to make a _regreso grandioso_."

"What?" Armin replies.

Peter looks confused for a moment.

"What is 'regreso grandioso'?" Armin asks.

"Oh, that? It's from this old language I found in a book. It's supposed to be banned but the Military Police where I used to live never cared."

"You know another language?"

"Eh… Well, kinda."

"Link," Zelda says, tearing my attention away from Armin and Peter's strange conversation.

I look up to her.

"Yeah?"

"How are you feeling?"

"...okay, I guess. My sides hurt like hell, and I feel lightheaded every time I move, but, y'know, I'm hanging in there."

_If only I had more healing potions,_ I think.

"In any case, once you're healed, we shall resume training. Since we know not when _he_ will return, we must use every bit of our time to prepare."

"Understood, Zelda," I reply.

"While you are not able to train, I guess I could teach you more about the Tripowers in the meantime… You've never used them, though, right?"

"No, I'm afraid not, I've never used them before you came here."

"That's what I thought… I was able to use the light beams, but that was it. Do you remember? During the battle with Ganon? I used them to hold him down while you finished him off?"

That battle comes to mind. The scene, the pain, and the fear, it… It all comes back to me at once. Zelda notices, and snaps me back to reality.

"I'm… sorry if that brought back bad memories. But you understand what I'm referring too, correct?"

"Yes."

"See, I did not learn of the Tripowers until watching Vaati use them with his Antitriforce back in Hyrule. Since then, I've taught myself a good portion of them, but I've nowhere near mastered them, and neither has Vaati."

"Why do they exist?" I ask.

"It's a hidden power that one receives when they hold a piece of the Triforce. It's… some type of 'Tri-energy' that surges through them, and enables them to use it. It's not like the sorceress powers, like that girl Sasha now has, as with that you receive in different ways, but as for the Tripowers, you may not even know you have them until you accidentally use them years in advance. You could hold a piece of the Triforce all of your life and never be aware of the powers you have yet to learn."

"What's the… Antitriforce? Why does _that_ exist? I understand the Triforce, but what purpose does its black, upside-down counterpart have?"

She thinks for a moment.

"I do not know, Link. There are many things I do not know about our world. I know not why the Antitriforce exists, I know not why Vaati is targeting us, I know not how you stumbled upon this world and I know not how time flows between realities. Some of those will forever be mysteries, and some… may end up being revealed, sooner or later. In any case, we need to make due with the knowledge we have to stay alive, and return Hyrule to its former prosperity."

"Alright, then… Tell me things about the Tripowers that I don't know. Give me knowledge."

A smile forms on Zelda's face. _She seems very eager to teach me._

"A lot of this knowledge I've acquired by spying on Vaati, so it _may_ not be true, but I'd make sure to be aware of it. Some, though, I've seen be proven myself. One such power is being granted the ability to fly by the Antitriforce."

"You're kidding?"

"No, no, just like _that_ man said, Vaati was flying the first time you encountered him. And then with the regular Triforce, one can emit light beams from the palm of their hands. On a normal person, it kills instantly, and is an important skill to learn for battle."

"Damn!" I say. "Oops, I mean, _wow._ That's great."

"And also… Apparently, holding two pieces of the Antitriforce takes a toll on one's body, and can easily kill them if held for too long. Holding three pieces at once is instant death."

She continues, "A piece of either Triforce can be forced into someone as well. Usually, it takes both people to successfully transfer a piece, but with skill one can force a piece into somebody, giving that person power. However, if the person receiving the piece already holds a piece of the _opposite_ Triforce, that opposite piece will be forced outwards and into the other person. Did you get that?"

"...what?" I ask, confused. _I didn't get a word she just said._

She chuckles. "Worry not, Link, it will all come to you. You don't need to memorize everything there is to know about the Triforce at this moment. Just… Think about it sometimes. Gradually build up knowledge. In time… You'll be a master. Do you remember how to sense for other Triforce piece holders?"

"I think," I say.

I close my eyes and start to search for the Triforce pieces around me… _I can sense the Antitriforce of Courage in my lap, my Triforce, Zelda's Triforce, and… and… and…_

_I can sense another._

I look to Zelda quickly. She looks confused for a moment, and suddenly it hits her.

"He's here," she says. "He's here. Close. O-outside the walls of this district."

"I feel it too," I say.

_Shit. He's here. I feel two Antitriforce pieces, as well… Did he gain another piece?_

_Mikasa. Eren._

_They're outside the district._

"Mikasa and Eren are still out there!" I suddenly yell. "We have to go, _now!_ "

"Wait, what's going on?" Armin asks.

I turn around, and look into his eyes with fear and urgency.

"Vaati has returned."

Zelda grabs my arm. I turn and look at her as I try to get out of the bed.

"We… we need to leave," she tells me.

"...okay. Armin, go gather everyone else, we'll be just outside of Yarckel, alright?"

Sasha is now sitting up from her bed, staring at me and Zelda. She doesn't look disoriented, nor does she seem depressed. A distinct, red tint can be seen in her eyes.

"I'll go," she says. "You're injured, and I have these new powers, so… so… I'll go…"

I nod my head.

In just a few minutes, we're all on our feet; I am able to walk now, but it hurts like hell still. Sasha seems determined and Zelda still looks alarmed. We dash through the streets of District Yarckel, past houses, fruit stands, and even the crowded marketplace.

The sky starts to become dark. The clouds block out what little sun there is. And just when I thought the atmosphere couldn't get more gloomy, rain starts viciously pouring from above. I sigh, and continue sprinting for the Yarckel exit.

The feeling I get… the ominous presence that Vaati gives off… it becomes stronger by the second. It's like it instills fear into me against my will. I'm not afraid of Vaati, though…

_I'm afraid of him hurting my friends._

We come across the horse stable and rush inside to have our horses returned. The man at the counter takes out his cigar and says, "Go get 'em, then, y'all already paid, right?"

And so we climb aboard our horses and begin riding. The exit becomes visible; once we're finally out of the district, and out of its exterior town, we see nothing. Nothing but fog in all directions. The grass below us is wet, and the already eerie atmosphere becomes even more uncanny by the thick fog surrounding us.

I can still feel Vaati's presence, though. Its feeling leads me toward him. Even with no map I can sense his exact direction.

Amongst the rain, the fog, and the darkness of the night, I see him.

I see his figure, standing there, holding his hand out to the side.

We stop and climb off of our horses.

Once he's completely visible, he gives us a smirk.

He's holding Eren and Mikasa with his purple sorcerer powers. They can't escape its grasp, as it holds the two by their heads in the air; a purple glow is radiating off of them as well.

"YOU FIEND!" I yell. "Drop them, _right now!_ "

"Hey! Hey! Do not be hasty, Hero of Time. We can settle this like men, yes?"

His purple hair and body… red shoes… a face I'd punch a million times… and those weird, red eyes…

_He's certainly a unique being._

_He's not a Hylian, for sure._

Zelda steps closer, glaring at him, seeing Eren and Mikasa desperately trying to free themselves of his grasp.

"You're looking very beautiful, Zelda," Vaati says. "I especially love your hair."

"Do not speak to me," she bluntly replies.

"Feisty. I like it. Ha!"

My sword is unsheathed. Sasha's figured out how to make a red ball of energy with her powers, and Zelda has taken a fighting stance.

Vaati is simply staring at us with his ugly face.

He notices Sasha and says, "My oh my, it's you! I've been waiting for your arrival, honey. You learn fast. And your powers are colored red? Splendid! It really matches your hair, yes?"

Sasha's hands are violently shaking. I see her face, and she can barely maintain eye contact with the purple menace standing before her. _She's scared out of her mind._

"What are you going to do with that ball of source energy you have there? Are you going to use it? Against _me?_ That would probably tickle a little bit, if I had to guess."

He starts laughing.

"But, I mean, at least you're not like _these_ two idiots here, right? Ha! You are simply misguided, Sasha. I will show you the way. Now put down the ball."

She doesn't.

Vaati sighs, walks forward, and punches Sasha in the face. She instantly falls over in agony. Tears start flowing out of her eyes as she squirms on the muddy, wet grass.

_That damn jackass!_

"Don't hit her!" I scream, charging forward.

I swing my Flame Sword but Vaati jumps back before I can land a strike. He smiles at me, and then some kind of power surges through his body, and his eyes turn white.

"Tripowers," Zelda says under her breath.

"What is that flame substance on your sword?" he asks.

I don't answer.

"Oh, come on, just tell me, you asshole. I'm not even trying to kill you right now. Are those Annie's powers? How the hell did you manage to transfer _her_ sorceress powers to _your_ sword?"

"Skill," I say.

_So he isn't trying to kill me. If then, what is he doing?_

_Is he trying to take Eren and Mikasa? But then why would he wait for us to arrive?_

_This man makes no sense._

I run forward for another strike, and Zelda follows suit. My Flame Sword swings at Vaati. He jumps into the air and hovers in place. Zelda places her palm upward as her eyes turn black; then, a light beam shoots out of her hand, and it nearly hits Vaati.

"Hey, Link," he says, as we continually pursue him.

He's holding Eren and Mikasa with his powers amongst the rain, and using only one hand to do so. The purple menace is still able to dodge our attacks despite that. After calling for my attention, he lowers himself to the ground, and glares directly into my eyes.

"You're the villain."

_What?_

_Oh, shut up._

"I can hear your thoughts, Link. It's true: _you are the villain._ "

"Do not listen to his mindgames, Link," Zelda tells me.

"You call it a mindgame, princess, but I call it the truth. See, if you didn't already know, everything bad that has happened up to this point has been directly or indirectly caused by _you._ "

"Shut up!" I scream, as I charge forward, slicing at him.

"Hyrule would have never fallen if you would not have left, as you could've defeated me while I was weak. This world would have never been subject to so much death, as you led your enemies here. Annie was defeated, but then _you_ came along. Think, child, how many lives have been lost because of you?"

"I'LL KILL YOU! GET OVER HERE!"

" _You bring death wherever you go, Link. I am simply doing the multiverse a favor."_

I try not to listen to his words. Zelda and I keep chasing him as he toys around with us, as she shoots light beams at him, and I helplessly slice with my sword.

_I should've brought my masks… maybe stocked up on more arrows… focused on healing more… saved up the deku nuts I had… I'm injured and don't have many weapons, so I'm useless as it stands._

"SASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" a voice screams from behind.

_Armin._

I turn around and begin running towards them. I spot Armin looking down at Sasha.

"She's fine," I say. "Vaati punched her pretty hard. He has Eren and Mikasa, come on!"

Armin helps Sasha up. I see Jean, Alex, and Peter as well.

"Where's Mikasa?!" Jean asks.

"Vaati has her, over there!" I reply, pointing behind me.

Jean sprints for Vaati without thinking; Peter and Alex look extremely tentative.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Peter says. "We're all fucking dead, guys. Look at how injured Link already is!"

"He was injured before the fight started," Armin says, putting Sasha on his horse. "He's probably weak and can't fight well."

"That's just great. We got flying purple guy over there and our best fighter barely able to fight."

"Think positive, Peter," Alex says. "We can get through this."

"You're too optimistic, kid! That dude's got your _mentor!_ He probably defeated Eren instantly!"

"Come on, guys," I say. "We've gotta give it our all against this guy."

Armin hops on his horse and begins riding forward; he's visibly terrified but determined to save his friends. Alex complies, and Peter does so too, though hesitantly. We begin pursuit once again.

Zelda is still managing to hold her ground against Vaati. She's mainly using her light beam to attack, and Vaati can't land a hit on her due to her fast nature, and also due to the fact that he's using one of his hands to hold Eren and Mikasa. Once he sees our entire group gather around the "purple flying dude," he starts laughing.

"Oh! Alrighty then! The gang's all here, I take it? Haha! _Nice!_ Even though most of you don't have _any_ sort of powers! This is _great!"_

The rainstorm turns into a thunderstorm as lightning begins striking down in the background. Vaati, hovering a few meters into the air, looks at us from above, with his nasty glare, and completely white eyes. He smirks at us again.

Another lightning bolt hits from right behind us, and a few of our group go flying forward. I look behind to see Alex, in his titan form, charging at Vaati. The tall, skinny, blond titan punches at the flying menace, and he manages to cause Vaati to drop Eren and Mikasa.

_Alex… Nice going._

Jean and Peter use their ODM gear to fly up onto Alex's shoulder, and I follow suit with my clawshots. We look to Vaati from the shoulder of the tall titan as a look of rage appears on his face.

"Haha! Nice, Alex!" Peter says into his titan ear. "You're a damn legend!"

"You managed to make me drop them, huh? And you're _celebrating_ just for _that? HOW PATHETIC!"_

He forms a purple ball of energy with his hands and thrusts it forward. It strikes Alex's titan leg, and he goes crashing down, as do I. I hop off to see Armin and Sasha going to help Eren and Mikasa. Eren is missing a hand and Mikasa looks disoriented; Sasha is injured with only one punch from Vaati, and Armin is starting to have a panic attack.

Vaati finishes off Alex's titan, and Alex barely manages to climb out before it's completely destroyed.

_This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad,_ I think, as I grab Mikasa's scarf from off the wet ground.

_Zelda is starting to look tired, as well. My other friends are practically incapable of fighting Vaati._

_...is this it for us?_

"Link!" Vaati yells as he shifts his attention from Alex to me. "You have the Antitriforce of Courage, do you not? You killed Shadow Link and gained its power?"

I don't answer.

He flies down towards me and and strikes my torso with a blade on his back. I stumble backward and try to slice Vaati with my Flame Sword, but to no avail. He reaches forward and grabs something out of my tunic.

_The Antitriforce._

He jumps back and flies into the air, dodging Zelda's light beams easily.

"You've made it _that_ easy? Now I have the full Antitriforce! I could resonate _right now_ if I wanted!"

He looks down at the black triangle he just took from me.

"...ha, but I'm not going to."

_He has three pieces of the Antitriforce now? Where did he get the second one, and why wasn't he using it? God dammit, Vaati is so confusing!_

He forms a portal off to the side and then targets Zelda. He strikes her down until she's hurt, then grabs Sasha and Eren, and throws them into the portal.

_Shit! Where does that portal lead to? Where did they go?!_

"EREN! SASHA!" Alex screams, rushing into the portal without hesitation.

Vaati chuckles at the child.

I see Armin off to the side, on the ground, freaking out. He's next to Mikasa, who's also lying on the ground. She has a wound on her head. _Vaati must've injured her._

"FUCK IT!" Peter yells, jumping into the portal after Alex. Jean looks to the portal with a conflicted look; he then looks to me.

"Take care of them," Jean tells me before entering the portal. Vaati's face only appears happier and happier.

"Holy shit! They _all_ went in there! Nice! You guys are _tight-knit!_ See those dumbasses in _Termina!_ "

_Termina? That portal was to Termina?_

_You've gotta be kidding me._

"My work it almost done here, Link!" he tells me.

Zelda is writhing on the ground in pain after Vaati attacked her.

Mikasa is half-unconscious from her head injury.

Armin seems to have gone insane after seeing all of this take place.

And there's me, unable to do anything. Looking up at Vaati in rage as he toys with us.

"There's one last thing I must do, though."

He pulls out two black triangles from his purple tunic, and then looks to Mikasa.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" I scream.

He smirks. Then, Vaati lowers toward Mikasa and abruptly takes the two Antitriforce pieces and forces them into her body. She immediately wakes up and starts screaming.

"Let's see if this girl is able to withstand such power without dying. If so, great things are headed her way! The pain will be _worth it!_ "

Two Antitriforce pieces are forced into Mikasa as she writhes in pain on the wet grass. On her right hand, the symbol of the Antitriforce becomes visible.

"MIKASSAAAA!" I yell, running toward her.

I look down at her as Vaati flies back upwards. Armin gets back up too and looks to Mikasa with tears in his eyes.

He looks to me. "It's all gone to hell, Link."

"LINK!" Zelda yells. I turn around and see her.

"TAKE THEM, AND RUN!"

"NO!" I yell back. "I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!"

Amidst the rain, the lightning, the fog, and the darkness, she gives me a blissful smile.

"I'll be fine. Go, before she dies, before it's too late."

A sword flies out of nowhere at me and I dodge it. A hear a screech from behind and see Armin, falling to the ground. That sword flew directly into his leg. He looks to me, with a determined gaze, and a blade jutting out of his bloody leg.

"Go… Link… Get away from here, with Mikasa… Go!"

Mikasa's body squirms on the ground. I barely manage to get her to a horse while Zelda holds Vaati off. Her hands are extremely cold, and her eyes are closed.

I remember what Zelda told me not too long ago.

" _...holding two pieces of the Antitriforce takes a toll on one's body, and can easily kill them if held for too long."_

I take off, away from the chaos, and into the unknown. My friends are in another universe. Armin is severely injured. Zelda can barely take on Vaati.

And Mikasa is on the verge of death.

_Somebody help me..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up now, and the situation is becoming much more tense.
> 
> I wrote this chapter pretty quick because I was so eager to get it out. I was supposed to post chapters for my other two main fics, but I found myself wanting to write for this one much more.
> 
> Next chapter is something I've been waiting to write for a long, long time. I think it was around chapter 9 I was planning out this arc, and next chapter includes a scene that I've imagined in my head for a while. Thus, the next chapter will probably be out pretty quick as well. Thanks for reading.


End file.
